Blood Specks in the Snow
by Lady Zettai Gangu
Summary: What will Sango do when she realizes that she has to compete for Miroku's heart? What will Miroku do when faced with his old true love? Who knows...
1. Chapter 1: Memories

The sun was shining brightly through the canopy; Maya groaned and turned over in her bundle

Ello, muffins! I want to eat you! RAWR! laughs I'm kidding...well, sort of. Anywho's, I've really done a lot of revising with this story, and a lot of character's that are ADORED by you and other Inuyasha fans probably won't show up. Like, Sesshoumaru won't be present in this story. GASP I know…and I've put A LOT of imagery and crap like that in here too; I'm experimenting with it. I hope it turns out okay…Oh, and of course, I've added my own character. I hope you enjoy reading this as much as I enjoy writing it!

STORY TIME

Chapter One: Memories

The sun was shining brightly through the canopy; Maya groaned and turned over in her bundle. She opened her eyes cautiously, slowly letting them adjust to the newborn morning. It was white all around; it had snowed in the clearing, and everything was sparkling like crystal. She gazed around in wonder, completely caught in awe. A small laugh escaped from her blue lips, and she lept up in childish excitement. She clambered around, stomping on the supple piles, and diving into the cotton-like ice.

She played for what seemed like hours, until she'd been soaked through. A chilly blast of fresh winter wind pricked at her skin, and she shivered. She smiled a ginger smile, and hugged herself.

The sounds of morning paraded around her, in what sounded like an opera; the birds sang in their sweet, soprano and the warming snow fell with a drumming time. The water bubbled hurriedly as it slid down the uneven stream bed, and then collected in the perfectly round pool. The steam rose like smoke over the lukewarm beauty, reflecting morning time rainbows over the diamond clear water.

Maya slid out of her soppy clothes, and laid them, with unnecessary care, over a bare branch. Her frozen flesh welcomed the warm water with ecstatic thrill, and she sank into the water until it barely skimmed over the bridge of her nose. She listened to the thrumming of the hectic water, suddenly reminded of the spring time chorus of the bees. She smiled, glad of the new come winter that held away the warm season; spring was her least favorite season. She hated the sudden changes in the weather, and the flood of recently melted snow.

She began to let her mind wander unsupervised, and a memory, old as mother Gaia herself, aroused itself from the dusty archives of her psyche. It was a memory of her childhood, of her first and truest love. She lowered her eyes to the water, and let herself pick meticulously through the faded remembrance.

FLASH BACK

It was cold, and she'd cuddled up next to Miroku, her only friend and the only scholar at the monk's shrine. They were sitting outside the small building, while she watched the birds soar over head, and he sipped idly at some tea. She glanced down from her most recent interest, and began to scrutinize the young man's features: the way his jet black hair caught the sunlight, how his eyes sparkled with mysterious interest at things she couldn't think of, and how his thin lips would turn out when he smiled, revealing his gleaming white teeth. "Miru-chan," Maya asked shyly, in awe at the young monk's beauty, "Do you love me?" He turned to face her, glowing with triumph over the beautiful creature that clung to his arm. He chuckled a deep, throaty way, and sighed; his eyes met her soundlessly, and he smiled at her tentatively. "As much as I possibly can love you, Maya." He replied; his eyes honest; though, he wasn't certain if loving a demon was possible.

He cocked his head slightly and gazed at her with prying eyes; he wanted to understand what made her so special. She was beautiful in every sense of the word, what with her bittersweet brown hair, and luminous green eyes; and her kindness was like a vast sea, never ending and always flowing with dignity.

She lowered her gaze from his loving observation, and felt her cheeks warm as the blood rushed to them. "Will you love me forever?" she asked, again her voice was soft and guarded.

"I'll love you for much longer than that." He answered truthfully, nodding.

"Will you promise me that?"

"I promise, Maya."

She gazed into his eyes for a few heartbeats, and then turned away, smiling. "Good." She chirped smugly, returning to her lighthearted behavior. Miroku chuckled, suddenly confused again. "Why's that good?" he asked, reaching to scratch behind her large, downy cat ears; he smiled to himself in amusement when she mewed pleasantly. She beamed at him; and took his hand in hers. "Because that means I'll always be happy, and that I won't have to kill anyone." She responded, raising his hand to brush her cheek against it, "As long as I know you're mine…" She raised her eyes to meet his, "I'll have all the bliss in the world."

He smirked at her, and bent toward her, resting his forehead against hers. "As will I, my love." He whispered; his voice was like airy velvet, smooth and blissful. She wrapped her arms around him suddenly, and pulled his lips to hers.

END OF FLASHBACK

A sudden bolt of resentment flared through Maya, burning like liquid ice to her veins; she struck the innocent water in spite. Tears fell like heavy boulders from her eyes, blazing at them maliciously. "Why am I crying now?" she demanded from herself, angry and emotional. She received no answer, and she sighed in ease; she would have been more concerned if an answer had come. "I'm fine; he doesn't deserve me anyway." She assured herself, mentally spitting at the picture of her young aficionado, "I'd probably kill him if I saw him anyway."

"Miroku, wake up." Shippo's voice invaded his dream; he opened his eyes to the big, prying eyes of the young kitsune, "You were talking in your sleep again. Who's 'Maya?'" Miroku felt all the blood rush to his cheeks and he glanced around tensely, hoping that the others hadn't noticed; no one was even in the room, except for himself and the curious kitsune. He looked back at the child; his eyes were too wise. He sat up, straightening himself into his proud posture. "Maya was a female friend of mine when I was younger." He explained, keeping his eyes hidden. Shippo continued to stare at him; there was a powerful light of curiosity in his eyes, and it made Miroku feel naked. Then, suddenly, the kitsune's face rearranged into a smugly disgusted grimace. "How many women do you have relations too _exactly_?" he inquired inquisitively, crossing his arms over his tiny chest. Miroku smiled haughtily and patted the young boy's head in a demeaning manner. "You'll never know." He said in a pompous voice, standing up to stretch.

Shippo rolled his eyes, and ran his hands through his hair, trying to repair the damage caused by Miroku's attempt at nonchalant ness. "Which translates into, 'how the hell should I know? I don't keep track of the few women I actually seduce!'." He said mockingly, grinning at the grimace he'd produced from the monk. Miroku craned his neck slowly, gazing at the kitsune with a wild look. "How about we make it so you'll _never_ make another of you?" he growled hazardously.

Shippo screamed at the top of his lungs, in sheer horror, as Miroku dove at him. He scrambled for the door, crashing through the paper screen into Inuyasha's knees. The half-demon yowled in protest and kicked him away just as Miroku came stampeding out of the hut hurdling into him. Inuyasha roared in rage, grabbing hold of the anger-blinded monk, and hurling him to the ground furiously. "Damn, monk!" he snarled, clenching his fists to his side in a small attempt of regaining control.

Kagome and Sango broke into a tumult of laughter, rolling on their backs in absolute delight. Shippo managed to rush behind them before Miroku spotted him. "What's so funny?!" Inuyasha glowered, baring his teeth at them in a visible grimace. Sango managed to stifle her laughter momentarily, and tried to shush Kagome, who'd lost herself in the bubbly mirth. "It's just…just…hah!" Sango tried to explain, breaking into another fit. Their continuous laughing managed to calm Miroku, and he'd begun laughing himself; only Inuyasha remained sulking after the noise had died down. He sat across from them, silently fuming.

After the excitement died down, they started to gather their things. It'd been a month since Kagome had last been home, so the party was going to the Bone-Eater's well, against Inuyasha's loud and angry protests. "I still don't get why you have to go." He grumbled to Kagome, who was clinging to his back as he ran along the forest line, "It's not like you need company, you've got me and the others; and we've got plenty of supplies." She rolled her eyes and coughed a sarcastic laugh. "It's not any of that, Inuyasha. I _need_ to catch up on my school work, and I'm positive that Mom and Grandpa are missing me." She said in a firm voice, "Besides, I'm even beginning to miss Sota." He snorted at the longing in her voice. "Why do you even care?!" she asked, her tone harsh.

"_I_ need you to locate jewel shards, duh!" he snapped.

"Well, _I_ need a break from _you_!"

He huffed out angrily and stopped, dropping her off his shoulders. "Then get a head start!" he barked, taking off into the trees. Kagome pushed herself up angrily, brushing the dirt off of her skirt. "Get back here, you asshole!" she screamed after him, stomping her foot. Kirara appeared above her, with Miroku, Sango, and Shippo hugging her back. "What happened, Kagome?" Sango asked, glancing toward the direction of Inuyasha's departure. Kagome just shrugged, and stomped off toward the well; to her luck, Inuyasha had left her in familiar turf. "I'll be back in a few days," she said, swinging herself over the well's mouth, "Or never." She dropped down, leaving the other three confused and in dismay.

"What do you think they were fighting over?" Sango asked, looking at Miroku; his eyes were fogged over with thought. Shippo climbed onto the edge of the well, and peered down into the blackness. "Inuyasha doesn't like it when Kagome leaves him." He said thoughtfully, glancing back at the two adults. Sango smiled a romantic smile, and rolled her eyes. "That makes sense…stubborn demon." She murmured, climbing back onto Kirara's back, "Come, Kirara, let's go." Shippo waved after them as she and the neko-manta took flight.

Miroku hummed to himself, and moved to a quite, soft area of the clearing. "Inuyasha will be here soon; let's wait for him." He offered, sitting under the shade of an aged tree, "How long do you think he'll be?" Shippo shrugged, and sat beside him. "He'll probably show up in a few minutes." He declared; nodding toward a rustling in the tree leaves.

Maya growled viscously at the remains of her latest victim. He stared endlessly, in fear, at the sky, dismantled. She kicked a portion of his leg to the side as she started toward the village ahead. "Another scourge gone," she sighed bitterly, brushing at the blood staining her kimono, smearing it worse, "and a whole horde to go." The smell of fresh urine and fluids clung to the insides of her nose, and she pictured the innocent victim of her kill; she could see the young girl's scream, and she felt a surge of sorrow. She collapsed to her knees, and gaped at the night-shadowed ground in horror: that man had raped that girl…and she couldn't stop him. She knew what terrors that girl would live with, and she almost wanted to go and put her out of misery. Guilt bound her legs to the ground, and she slumped over, landing face down in a heap of sobs.

"Damn, damn, damn…" she cried quietly to herself, "No freaking control! Damn you, Miroku!" She struck the ground with her fist, creating a perfect crater around her hand. She lept to her feet immediately, and flew towards the village. A fire was burning in the distance, and it looked like they were serving up food; her stomach started growling with hunger, and she felt it nip at her abdomen. She slowed to a brisk walk, and approached the group carefully.

There were four of them: a half demon male, a female dressed in a pink kimono, a very young kitsune, and a monk. Maya froze in an instant, feeling her heart begin racing in her chest. _Miroku…?_ She thought to herself, recognizing the monk with immediate happiness. She felt all of her caged emotions flood again, and couldn't help but smile. She had a powerful urge to tackle him, like she would've if they were teenagers again, but she remembered her heartbreak, and snarled a little too loud.

The half demon stood, his white hair flying with the sudden movements, and glared in her direction. "Demon!" he roared, alarming the others. Maya felt her heart shatter with fear as the woman's kimono fell, revealing the too-well known armor of demon slayers. "Damn!" she hissed, turning to the trees, but she fought against her instincts to run; and she stayed still, staring down the line she stood on, dividing her from danger and safety. She glanced toward the approaching half-demon. "I mean no danger." She said, using her sweetest voice, "I'm only looking for a good meal." The half demon snarled incoherent words at her, and unsheathed the biggest katana she'd ever seen; it stretched far beyond the length of normal weapons. She felt her stomach collapse inside her. "Yeah, I bet I know what you want for dinner." The half demon accused angrily, standing in an offensive posture.

Maya felt uneasy as the other two adults came to stand by his side; her eyes flickered nervously to the hunter, and she held out her hands, turning them palms up. "I'm not that kind of demon." She swore, her eyes returning to those of her attacker's. He scoffed, and stepped forward, raising the katana above his head with ease that sent shivers down her spine, "Yeah right; you reek of fresh blood!" He swung mightily, and Maya lept back, barely dodging the attacks. He swung again, just as she landed, and she felt the singing pain of the blade slicing through her arm. She screamed in agony, and stumbled back; her claws sprang out of their sheaths, and she snarled at her nuisance. He laughed at her, and lifted the katana again. "You might wanna give up now, Cat." He sneered, baring his fangs at her in an arrogant grin, "Maybe I'll let you live, if you leave now."

Anger pierced through Maya's composure and she rushed at him, leaping into the air as he swung the blade to defend himself, and managed to knock him back with a kick in the chest. "Don't be cocky, Dog," she growled, moving to dodge another lunge, "I don't give up _that_ easily." There was a disturbance in the air, and she leaned back just as a huge boomerang soared past her, taking with it a lock of her hair. She gasped, and glanced at the demon hunter; her heart pounded in her chest. She moved again, leaping back, mistakenly toward the monk, who struck her in the chest with his staff. Winded, she staggered back, rasping for air. "Miro-k" she coughed, and felt her body tense just as she saw the glare of the blade. Pain jolted up and down her arm, and she screamed, opening her eyes to stare in horrified glory; her body had reacted on its own, and she'd managed to grasp the blade just before it struck.

Shock emanated throughout the clearing, ad it became to quiet. Maya took advantage of the stillness, and kicked her leg into the half-demon's stomach, sending him and his weapon back. She turned on her heel, and wheeled toward the sanctity of the trees; not daring to glance back. She could smell her own blood as it dripped behind her, leaving and obvious trail. A pang of fear echoed throughout her mind, and she flinched at the thought of pursuit. She didn't want to kill them, not even the mutt that had attacked her. She stumbled and fell to the ground; she listened fearfully for sounds of chase, holding her breath.

Miroku stared after the demon as she fled from them; there was something familiar in her graceful lopes, and he thought he heard her shout his name. Inuyasha was standing up straight, nose in the air, and smiling a cocky smile. "I hope she comes back and snaps your arm in half." Shippo muttered unreceptively, rolling his eyes at his haughtiness. Miroku chuckled at the remark, and nodded aside to him. Sango buckled her boomerang around her back, and went to Kirara's side, running her fingers through the neko-manta's fur; she let out a low growl, and coughed a quite bark of concern. "I'm fine, Kirara." Sango told her, smiling.

The victory sent a wave of security through the group as they settled down to sleep. Miroku's mind was alive with confusion and he tossed about in his blankets, trying to get comfortable. He stared at the ceiling, with the image of the haggard and terrified face of the neko. Her green eyes reminded him of a distant memory and he couldn't quite grasp onto it. He kept seeing familiar images when he closed his eyes, and he could almost hear a jingle like laugh. He turned on his side and stared at the small opening below the door shade; the grass was sweeping against the bamboo shade, creating a rattlesnake sound. _Maybe if I…_ He pushed himself onto his feet, and walked slowly outside.

The night was decadent with the black trees running against the purple sky, swaying to and fro like unnoticed shadows dancing through the cold winter twilight. Miroku pulled his hair back against his scalp, tying it behind his ears. He looked back, watching for signs of any of his companions. When he was sure, he took off into the trees, keeping his hands tight around his weapon. The forest was unusually silent, and he could almost immediately pinpoint the sounds of rapid breaths, and hisses.

He slowed his pace, and glanced around an old, mangled tree. He saw the beautiful, pained face of the neko; she had an angry grimace on her face. She was wrapping her hand in a dark colored cloth. A flood of emotion rushed through him, from his ears to his feet, and he felt a pit sink into his stomach. He finally remembered who she reminded him of: Maya. He gasped unintentionally, and regretted it as soon as the breath escaped form his lips: he was pinned against a tree now, with black claws shallowly piercing his throat. The neko growled wildly, glaring with agonized loathing. "Come back to finish me off, monk?!" she demanded in a low, crazed voice, "I'll kill you before you even breathe again." Her grip tightened around his throat and he gasped, choking against the pressure. He lowered his eyes to her, pleading. "Ma-ya…your pro-mise!" he forced out in a rasp; he clenched his eyes shut against the pain.

He waited for his death, mentally scolding himself for his loss in self control and his stupidity of going after an injured demon; but, no liberation came for a long time. He opened his eyes, and looked his attacker in the eyes, seeing a pained disgruntled look of confusion. Her eyes glinted in the splintered moonlight, and he saw how they slowly began to light up. "Miroku…?" she whispered, hesitant of him; she slacked her grip on his throat, and she frowned, revealing some pained emotion foreign to him, "Is…is it you?" He nodded into her hands, and she dropped him; staring in complete shock and skepticism. He feared the powerful confusion in her eyes, like she was turning a hard decision in her mind.

The light he'd seen had faded, turning into murky smog over her eyes. "Y-you remember me?" she stuttered, shaking her head in small awkward motions. He nodded, stepping forward slightly. "How could I forget the love of my life?" he asked, feeling a sharp pain at her doubt; he stepped forward, holding up his arms to show submission. "B-but you left me…and in the field you…y-you hit me." She retorted, stepping back in response to his closeness; tears started streaming down her cheeks.

"I came back for you, Maya." He argued, passion milking his voice, "And I didn't know it was you back there--don't!"

She turned to run, but he caught her arm and pulled her to his chest. "Lemme go!" she pleaded, pulling feebly for her freedom. He shook his head, grasping her harder. "You'll have to kill me before I let you go again!" he growled, breathing her scent in deeply, refreshing his long guarded memory, "But you won't. You promised me you wouldn't." He was shaken at the impulsive revival of his old sentiment; his heart was racing in his chest, threatening to burst out in a bloody rage. She'd completely frozen in his arms. Not moving. Not breathing. "Maya!" he shouted, pushing her out to arms length to look her over; she stared blankly at him, with tears still treading down her cheeks, free of their long entrapment.

She faltered to the side, and stumbled back, landing against the side of the tree. Miroku watched in altered horror as she slumped to the ground, unconscious. He felt a spasm of alarm at the sight of blood trickling from her brow; it looked like a crimson bolt of lighting. He quickly scooped her up, holding her tightly against his chest, and dodged into the trees, toward the village.

"Hell no!" Inuyasha bellowed at the frantic monk; he had been woken up by the scent of demon blood in the village, and seen the horrid sight of Miroku running towards him, with a demon in his arms. He had to fight the twitch in his arm that told him to stab straight through the monk and his demon. "Inuyasha, this isn't just a demon!" Miroku pleaded, trying to get around him to Kaede; he huffed loudly when the dog stepped in between him and help, and looked him dead in the eyes, "She's my lost love! From back when I lived in the monastery." Inuyasha barked a rough laugh at the meager attempt at appeasing him. "Yeah, and I'm a rats ass." He snapped back, his voice hard with hostility.

Miroku glared at him, suddenly feeling more angry than worried. He rammed his shoulder into Inuyasha's chest, surprisingly strong and winding the half-demon. "Get out of my way!" He snarled at the gasping dog. Inuyasha stared at him in shock, caught off guard by the passion in Miroku's eyes, and watched as the monk raced toward the priestess' hut.


	2. Chapter 2: Flames

Chapter Two: Flames

Chapter Two: Flames

Fearful of what she might see, Maya opened her eyes slowly. It was dark, as always, but she could smell Him on her skin; the fresh wounds hung in her brittle mind and the fragrance only burned them deeper into her present thoughts. She whined in a low tone and curled up on her side. Bitter sobs rose from her throat in rough coughs and she pounded her injured hand on the dark floor; her wound split open and started to bleed again. 'Fresh blood for fresh pain, I suppose.' She thought, pulling halfheartedly at the bandaging around her hand. She started to lap at the pooling blood, cringing at the sharp stab she felt. The aroma of her own blood suppressed His scent, and she began to feel a sense of ease.

Once she'd finished cleaning her gash, and regained enough her composure, she sat up and looked around the room. It was to dim to make out much, but she did see the shadowy figure of a man asleep on the other side of the enclosure. A gasp flew out of her, and tears threatened to brim over; He was asleep, and had worry stained across his beautiful features. "Miru…" she muttered, unconsciously crawling toward the source of her pain. She reached out to touch his face, and stopped. Hesitation returned as her awareness started to rekindle. Every inch of her body wanted to feel him against her skin again, to replenish the aged memories and replace them with his new musky scent and feverish warmth; but the old pain remained and kept her unmoving in apprehension. He stirred beneath her, and his eyes fluttered open; he didn't jump or cringe away, instead he smiled. "Maya…" he whispered, touching her cheek with his fingertips, as if he wasn't sure she was really there, "Do you still love me?"

The words tasted bitter-sweet as she spoke them, "Miroku, I never stopped." His smile was so sweet and sincere. He pressed his palm against her cheek, brushing the pad of his thumb across her lower lip; she breathed in deeply, tasting his scent with anticipation. She closed her eyes, allowing her moment of weakness to consume her entire being. Then, his hand fell from her face and landed with a loud thud; and a soft snore was audible on the thick air. She peered down at him and saw that he had fallen asleep; the calm smile replacing all the previous worry that had been so tangible on his face.

The corners of her lips turned up, and she suppressed a giggle. It was so typical of her Miroku…she smiled at that. _Her Miroku_. A very old emotion wavered across her body, warming through the cold stone that guarded her healing heart; for the first time in a long time, she felt a sense of true euphoria. She had Her Miroku back again, and even though she doubted it with all of her logic, her heart pounded for the faint possibility of him returning to her side.

"_So, it wasn't a dream then…_" His voice was symbolic of an angels' choir to Maya's exhausted ears. She felt the movement of warmth next to her, and she whimpered as a sudden jolt of cold air hit her face. She scooted up against the moving warmth, and opened her eyes; she saw the amused face of Miroku. Embarrassment flushed through her cheeks, and suddenly she didn't need him to keep warm. She started to move away, but he wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her closer. "Don't leave me." He said, keeping her at bay with his gorgeous eyes, "I'll keep you warm." Anger rampaged through her all at once, and she kicked him away.

She stood in a huff, and then collapsed in a heap beside him. "Ouch…" they groaned in unison. He stood quickly, and went to her side. "Be careful, Maya! You took a pretty bad fall last night." He scolded her gently, his hands fluttering uselessly over her. She spat at him, shocked at her own venom. "Get the hell off of me!" she growled, shoving herself into the corner; she hugged her knees to her chest, and glared away from him.

He stared at her in bewilderment, trying to piece the last few minutes together. "Did…did I do something wrong?" he asked, guarding the distress in his voice, "I thought you said you loved me?" A harsh cough came from her, and she sneered at him. "Do you seriously think that one night is going to change the fact that you _abandoned_ me at that hell hole of a monastery?!" she demanded, starting to tear up again; she threw her arms up in a dramatic shrug, "You did nothing wrong…but that doesn't mean I forgave you…ignorant…" She went into a flurry of profanities, keeping her voice below audible so he wouldn't hear.

It was silent for a while, and she stared blindly at a worm crawling across the dirt floor of a small wood hut; she took the time to locate a general place and recognized the scent of the village's fire. She was in the same village that she was attacked in; sealed inside a sealed box with the one person she loathed, and loved. A menagerie of emotions kept filing through her like a well trained militia, tormenting her carefully stored heart and mind. Pain was all she truly felt; both the physical pain of her real wounds, and the psychological torment of what she was saying and thinking. "I'm sorry…" Miroku said, breaking through the almost substantial silence; Maya glanced at him from the corner of her eye, and saw that he wasn't looking at her, "I just thought…I didn't abandon you, Maya." His voice became so firm, and he moved to corner her, to make it so she couldn't get away with not looking at him. She growled deeply in her throat, and decided to glare at his foot; with bitter dissatisfaction.

He was angry with that, and he grabbed hold of her chin and jerked it up, forcing her eyes on him. "I didn't leave you, Maya." He said solemnly; his eyes were smoldering with black passion, "I came back at the exact day and time I promised I would; the day we were to be married." He touched her hand, tracing the half-heart scar that marred her wrist; the ends of it curled around her hand from her knuckles to her palm. She lowered he eyes again, hiding the shock that he had remembered such a juvenile and implausible event. She remembered the day they pledged their love to each other beneath the eternal branches of a twisted tree. "No…I stayed at that tree for weeks before and after that day…I waited for a solid month for you." She corrected him sourly, raising her eyes to glare at him.

He grimaced at her anger, but returned the same angry look. "I didn't go to the tree, Maya." He said, his voice suddenly sad, "I was at the monastery…they told me that you had vanished and--" She roared in a rage and found herself standing, towering over the kneeling figure of her lost love. "THEY BANISHED ME!" she yelled; her voice was so rough that it cut her throat fiercely, and she coughed slightly. She shoved Miroku away as he went to steady her. She used the wall to balance herself, finding that walking was close to impossible. "I know that now," Miroku said, standing so that he could catch her if she fell, "But I didn't then."

Maya stared through him, waiting for the fury to drain from her system. Then she turned to him, and let go of the wall; she staggered and dropped into his arms, held tightly against his chest once more. "That's not an excuse, Miru-chan." She muttered to him, searching. His lips found hers before she could react, yet she didn't retreat. She let the adrenaline rush through her, and the hot liquid pool. He pulled away, resting his forehead against hers. "I know, Maya." He whispered, "I'll make it up to you somehow."

Sango stared in disbelief and shock as Miroku marched out of the hut; Kaede had taken the seals off with his signal. He was carrying a demon on his back. The demon was definitely a female, and very beautiful with bright green eyes and flowing hair the color of chocolate. "Everyone," Miroku addressed them in a formal voice, and they turned to face him, "this is Maya." He smiled at the girl behind him, and she frowned, looking away from him with an irritated pout on her lips. He chuckled, and faced his two companions. Inuyasha was standing a good distance away, glowering at the monk; Sango was standing alone by the smoldering remains of the fire pit. "She'll be with us until her leg heals." Miroku said finally, closing his mouth into a hard line, awaiting the shouts of protest.

When all he received was stares, he assumed that they didn't mind and sat Maya down next to the pot of stew. "Hey, that's my food." Inuyasha growled, swiping his bowl out of Miroku's hands. "Go hunt your own." Maya snarled at the arrogant half demon, and swiped at him, pulling him down to her level. "Watch how you speak, mutt." She spat in his face, baring her fangs at him; he returned the gesture with a hot glare, "You may not like it, but I'm stuck with you all; if I had my way, I'd be back in the Forest instead of sitting around inhaling the disgusting scent of _dog_." She added a little more venom in her last word, and Inuyasha roared in anger. She shoved him away and snatched another bowl, scooping out a large helping of stew. Inuyasha glowered at her, fuming silently at the small defeat. It made him nervous that she was so strong even though she was injured.

Sango joined them slowly; wary of the furious waves pulsing through the air. "So, how did she injure her leg?" she asked Miroku, watching how neatly the neko ate, versus the savagery in Inuyasha's gulps. Maya glanced at her, but kept eating while burning holes in the side of her face. "I'm not sure; she fainted in the woods…and hit her head." Miroku explained, subconsciously running his fingers through the fur on Maya's tail. Sango pondered his remark for a moment, and was suddenly befuddled. "Wait, you went into the forest after her?!" she asked, her voice sharp, "What the hell were you thinking?!" Maya's ears perked up, and turned to listen. He shrugged, and looked up at the clouding sky.

"I couldn't sleep, and I was trying to figure out what was so familiar about her…my curiosity got the best of me." He told her. His eyes lowered, and it appeared that he was lost in his thoughts. Sango nodded and turned to watch Shippo playing with Kirara in the field. She was trying to piece together the connection between him and Maya; the demon was definitely some revulsion in the way Maya treated him, but there was something about the way it she seemed to adjust herself to sit as close to him as possible, and she was always touching him somehow, like she couldn't believe he was real. Sango laughed quietly to herself, amazed that she was able to gather so much information just by observing small actions. She turned back to face them, and found that Maya was now facing her completely, with a curious glow in her already luminous eyes.

Sango felt herself cringe under the power of the neko's inquiring stare. Miroku appeared to be half asleep now, and was resting his head against Maya's arm. "You want to know how we know each other." The neko said in a low voice, projecting it so that even Inuyasha wouldn't be able to detect it, "Am I correct?" Sango nodded small, understanding that she wanted to be secretive with her words. Maya told her their story in low barely audible whispers, being careful to keep them detectible by Sango only. Jealousy was building up inside the demon hunter, and she nodded seriously at every explanation that she was told. She was shocked at the honesty the neko possessed, and by how kind she was being; she was smiling at her.

After Maya had told her story, she shook Miroku off of her, and he fell softly to the ground beside her, snoring. Maya scoffed, exasperated by the monk's ability to disregard her. "WAKE UP!" she snapped loudly, making him sit up in a flash, blinking off his previous exhaustion. Sango laughed to herself, smiling at the neko's livid affection.

Shippo approached the group after a while, and settled in next to Sango, while he pried at the newcomer for random information. "What's your favorite season?" Shippo asked, smiling at his game.

"Winter, of course." Maya answered with a return smile.

"Favorite color?"

"Green"

"What about, your favorite flower?"

"Winter rose."

"Wow, what's your favorite animal?"

"Take three guesses and the last two don't count."

"Cats?"

"Bingo!"

Shippo laughed at her enthusiasm, as did Sango and Miroku, whom was gladly watching her regain her childish attitude. He was watching her with true interest and pleasure, beginning to get comfortable. He occasionally glanced back at Inuyasha, whom was still very irritated by his first encounter with the neko. "How long are you going to be with us?" Shippo asked, extremely excited by the idea of his new playmate, "I just know that Kagome's going to be stoked once she meets you." Maya shrugged, pointing at her bandaged up leg. "Who knows, could be a while." She responded, grinning at the kitsune, "Who is Kagome?" Shippo took the pleasure of telling the story into his own little hands; elaborating on important details and certain places of the tale that he found as a need-to-know-basis.

Maya listened intently, memorizing every small detail, becoming increasingly animated as he went on. It was late in the afternoon by the time Shippo had finished his story; Miroku had fallen asleep again, and Sango had left to go assist Kaede, leaving Maya to squirm about merrily. "Wow…" was all she could say after the little kitsune had become quiet. She felt a small pool of bitter regret heavy in her stomach and she turned to face the half-asleep figure of Inuyasha; she suddenly felt pity for the tortured dog. "That's an amazing story." She praised Shippo, beaming at his small gesture if victory, "It's late." She looked out towards the setting sun, and shook Miroku awake, pointing at it. She'd momentarily forgotten all loathing of him, and almost lost herself to the feeling of belonging.

"Come on! You guys are slower that slugs!" Inuyasha called out behind him, impatiently taking the lead. "It's not my fault that I'm carrying a demon on my back." Miroku snapped at him irritably, smiling back at Maya, who looked away, returning to her cold stand off.

"Hey, you didn't _have _to bring her." Inuyasha shot back bitterly, aiming the comment at her.

"I'd never leave her! Besides, she and Shippo wanted to greet Kagome too."

Inuyasha scoffed at them, turning on his heel to continue ahead of them. Shippo made a face at Maya, and she laughed, returning the motion. Miroku chuckled to himself, and hurried after Inuyasha. He smiled at the two of them, and played along, even though Maya was ignoring him openly.

Maya gazed around the clearing in shock at the beauty, and nearly fainted when Miroku set her down on the downy grass; despite her groan of displeasure, he sat down beside her and pulled her into his lap. Shippo snickered aloud, quieting himself at the receiving of her glare. She smiled into the silence, and decided to examine Inuyasha closer. From the way Shippo had told the story, he was the misunderstood asshole protagonist of the story. She stared after him as he sat next to the well, crossing his arms over his chest in an impatient grimace. She grinned to herself, realizing his discomfort; she had developed a strange sense of respect for his distant character.

Shippo had become oddly quiet in the presence of the enchanted Bone Eater's Well; there was a strange presence about it, and it made Maya uncomfortable. The wind had changed direction suddenly; causing the hairs on the backs of their necks to rise, and the head of Kagome appeared as she climbed out of the well. She smiled at the moping Inuyasha and waved at the trio; off taken by the sight of the stranger among friends. Miroku scooped Maya up and they rushed to greet the oddly dressed girl. "Hey, Shippo!" Kagome acknowledged him gratefully, pulling him into a friendly bear hug. Inuyasha stood up, and she nodded at him, pursing her lips in an annoyed frown. He seemed bothered by her shun, and turned to leave the group. Maya watched intently from her perch on the monk's back, and frowned. She turned back to the stranger by the well, and scrutinized her face; she saw pain in her eyes, and nodded to herself. "Let me down." She commanded Miroku, giving something close to a gesture of kindness by smiling.

Miroku lowered Maya down, letting her stand to greet Kagome. "Hi, I'm Maya…" she said, feeling awkward around the strange smell of unfamiliar air; she bowed slightly, letting Miroku catch her as she faltered to the side, "I'm apparently going to be traveling with you." Kagome bowed also, extending the respectable greeting. "Okay, so I did miss a lot." Kagome laughed, smiling at the new face before her.


	3. Chapter 3: New Journey

Chapter Three: New Journey

Chapter Three: New Journey

"You don't like me." Maya said to Sango, who kept her eyes ahead; the group had began there travels again, and Maya had been placed with Sango on Kirara's back, since it was obvious Miroku couldn't carry her forever. "What would make you think that?" Sango asked, keeping her voice calm, and defensive, like the comment had hurt. Maya shrugged and ran her fingers through the neko manta's fur. "The way you stand when I'm around you, the tone of your voice when we speak to each other, the way the light leaves your eyes when you look at me and how you're sitting now." Maya replied, thoughtfully listing out each of her bothersome observations. Sango felt the corner of her mouth raise into a grimace like smirk. "I hope you don't mind me asking, but why do you dislike me?" Maya asked, her eyes burning a hole into the back of Sango's head, "Did I offend you?"

"No." Sango replied, turning slightly too half-way meet the demon's gaze, "I _do_ like you, Maya."

"Your body language says otherwise…"

"I'm sorry, I suppose."

"Don't be…I figured it out."

"Figured what out?"

"Why you don't like me."

Sango's heart started racing in her chest. "You find me threatening…" Maya declared, her eyes sparkling with excitement, "You don't like the way Miroku acts around me, you're jealous!" Sango felt the blood drain from her face, and she stuttered her denial, only to have it drowned out of earshot by Maya's bell like laughter. "What's so funny?!" She demanded, suddenly feeling hot. The demon stopped laughing, and stared at her with a grimly serious look. "Oh, nothing really, it's just that you're jealous of me." She replied, pursing her lips, "I would have never guessed it…I applaud your ability to hide your emotions, but I'm afraid I do have some news to pass on." The demon leaned toward her and whispered, "As of right now, your jealously is pointless."

The two women stared at each other for a moment, and finally Sango turned to fully face her. "What exactly do you mean?" she asked, grabbing hold of Kirara's fur to steady her balance. Maya grinned at her, showing genuine amusement. "Well," she started, becoming deadly serious, "for starters, Miroku is stubborn, and since I'm not allowing myself to show any affection to him, with the exception of a few mistakes, he's not going to stop pursuing me." Sango nodded, feeling her face start to heat up as her anger started to boil again; but it was towards Miroku that her anger was aimed. "What if you were to show him affection?" she asked, steadily making eye contact with her.

Maya's eyes turned away, and a sad look replaced her serious smile. She bit her lip and stared down at the running monk. "I'm not sure…as far as I can tell…his memories of our times together are back and the feelings seem even stronger." She explained, glancing back at Sango: the color had drained from her face again, and she had a solemn look on her face, "But I'm not completely certain that I trust his emotions yet." Sango met her gaze, caught of guard by the pain in the neko's voice. "He's caused me a lot of pain." Maya said, feeling her mentally bashing against the walls in her mind, "He left me…and didn't come back."

Sango stared at her, watching the spread of emotions that were flashing across her face, and then she reached out, placing her hand on hers. They looked at each other for a moment, until the smile returned to Maya's lips. "Thanks…" Maya whispered, and then she turned away to signal that she was returning to her silent thoughts. Sango nodded, and turned around to face forward, looking at the sun rising into the middle of the sky. '_She's in so much pain over this…it would be wrong to be jealous,'_ she thought, looking down at Miroku with a frown. '_After all, he was hers first.'_

Maya sat in silence for the rest of the afternoon, hiding away inside the safe house of her shattering mind. She was bitterly angry that Miroku didn't realize the admiration that was carefully hidden in the demon hunter's eyes, and suddenly, she found herself wondering if she and Miroku had had romantic relations previous to her re-arrival in his life. She watched him while she pondered this thought, and went through her list of observations, trying to determine the answer. _'He doesn't seem to really notice her…and the way her body language is around him suggests that there aren't actually lovers.' _She thought, and then she nodded, frowning, _'Unrequited love…how sad.' _

She looked up at the sun as it started to fall behind the canopy of trees. "Perhaps we should see if Inuyasha's ready to set up a camp?" she called out to Sango, "It's almost sunset." Sango nodded and commanded Kirara to descend lower, so they could speak with half demon. Maya smiled at the notion of Kagome half asleep against his back, and hid her amusement behind the sleeve of her kimono. "We should find a place to rest for the night." Sango said to him, motioning towards the tired Kagome, "Everyone's exhausted." Inuyasha nodded and slowed to a stop.

Miroku was at Maya's side almost as soon as Kirara landed, and he swung her onto his back without hesitating. His grip on her was tighter, as if the short separation had made him anxious. Maya noticed immediately that it had, because as soon as her sat her down on a soft patch of grass, he started to check her wounds. She looked away from him, expressing her annoyance with a little more drama than it needed. She watched with interest as Inuyasha helped Kagome climb down from her place on his back. He was being extremely gentle with her, even though he disguised it with malice. She felt a giggle rising in her throat, and burst into a fit of laughter that frightened Miroku and her companions. They all stared at her in confusion while she rolled around in a bubbly fit. "What's so funny, cat?" Inuyasha growled, silencing her laughter. She sneered at him, and shrugged. "Nothing of interest to you, _dog._" She replied, using venom in the last word. They glared at each other until Kagome voiced that she was preparing food, and then he turned away as his interest changed.

"Must you instigate?" Miroku asked quietly, giving her a gentle and stern look. She nodded and turned away from him. He sighed and pulled her against his chest, wrapping his arms around her. She growled at him, but didn't protest; she rested her cheek on his arm, glaring at a tree that had an opening that resembled a heart. She smiled at Shippo, who had started making faces at her; and she found herself returning the ploy. "Hey, Miroku, can I borrow her please?" Shippo asked jokingly. Miroku hesitated, looking upset at the idea of moving away from her. "Yeah, go suck on a rock." Maya joked, adding a bit of venom into the statement. He looked her in the eyes, and nodded, hiding his hurt as he stood to help Kagome ready the food.

Shippo sat himself down in front of her, smiling a small embarrassed smile. "That was a little harsh." He whispered to her, pulling out a ball and tossing it at her. She caught the ball with her left hand and smiled, "He'll be fine. Besides, I can't exactly play with my new best friend when there's a man wall in my way." Shippo laughed and they started throwing the ball to each other; Maya would throw it far and hard, while Shippo would be careful and throw it so she could catch it without having to reach too far. They played like that until Kagome announced that it was time to eat.

Miroku brought her and Sango their meals, and sat himself down next to her. Sango had come to sit on her left so they could talk. "What is this stuff?" Maya asked, poking at the lumpy noodles with her chopsticks. "Kagome calls it 'Ramen.'" Sango said, slurping neatly at the soupy concoction, "It's just noodles in a broth." Maya nodded, but still stared at it confused. "I've never had noodles before…" she said, sniffing at the food cautiously. "Shut up and eat, cat. We don't have finicky eaters on this journey." Inuyasha snapped, approaching Kagome with a freshly empty bowl.

She huffed and glanced at Miroku, whom was eating his food in silence. She tilted the bowl against her lips tasting the liquid, and then started to eat ravenously. "Wow! This is really good…" she exclaimed through a full mouth of noodles. Miroku chuckled, and Sango stifled her laughter with her sleeve, trying not to spew her food. It was a matter of seconds by the time she finished her bowl. "Can I have more?!" she asked Kagome, her voice high with excitement. Kagome nodded, smiling as she dumped the last of the batch into the eager neko's bowl. "HEY!" Inuyasha shouted, grabbing hold of Maya's wrist as she raised her bowl to drink, "That's _my_ ramen!" Maya grinned as she wolfed down the last of the noodles with her free hand. "Not anymore." She teased, grinning sinisterly at him. He glared and tightened his hand over her arm, burying his claws into her skin. She yowled in pain, and smacked him with her other hand, clawing his cheek as she grabbed hold of his ear. He snarled at her, and she roared back, her tail was raised in bristles beside her. "Let me go or I'll rip it off." She spat at him, feeling all remorse for him evaporating against the heat of her rage.

Everyone around them stared in horror as the two battled each other silently. Blood was dripping from her arm and his cheek, pooling in the middle of the two. "Inuyasha, Sit!" Kagome shouted, and he came to the earth in between Maya's legs. "Eeeep!" she screamed, pushing herself back against Miroku, almost crawling into a ball in his lap, "Damn, pervert!" Inuyasha roared with displeasure and pushed himself up to defend himself and his pride, "_I_ didn't do it on purpose! Kagome's the one who did it!" "Yeah, right! I'm sure that she's the one who put your face in my lap!" Maya hissed, wide eyed and feeling exposed. Miroku pulled her against him, shushing her, while Kagome started at Inuyasha, "What the hell did you go and do that for?! She's injured and can't defend herself!"

"That was my food!" he growled back at her, returning the glare.

"No, it was rightfully hers! She asked first!"

"Whatever! And she's not defenseless either! Do you not see the blood coming from my face?!"

"You deserved that, you stupid dog!"

He glared at her, his mouth pressed into a hard line. He turned on his heel and took off into the trees; she turned and stomped towards her bag, muttering angrily. Maya watched from her perch in Miroku's arms; for once she didn't mind him holding her. She had never really feared a human before, but there was something in Kagome's aura that frightened her, something powerful and dangerous. She buried her face into her protector's chest, inhaling his calming scent. She felt something stroking her hair, and she peered behind her to see Sango trying to help Miroku calm her; she smiled and almost started to cry. "I'm fine…" she told them, pushing herself away from Miroku, using all of her strength and control to do it. She turned to look past them, watching as Kagome slumped down against a tree, pulling a blanket over her head. "Night, everyone." She said, waving as she turned to lie on her side.

Maya jumped awake in a start and stared in horror at the black wall before her; after a second of stiff fear, she realized that the wall was merely darkness and she remembered where she was. She sighed and ran her fingers through her hair, wiping away the cold sweat that remained from her nightmare. She waited for her eyes to adjust to the dark and then she smiled: Inuyasha had come back to the camp, but he was on the farthest side away from Kagome, whom had finally managed to fall asleep, despite her hidden tears. Maya frowned at that thought, and wished that she could walk over to the poor girl and clean up those spilled drops, so that no evidence would give her weakness away. She would even crawl to do that, but Miroku had her in his death grip as he slept.

It was apparent that Miroku wasn't to keen on the idea of her leaving, but she was slowly gaining control of her legs, and she was planning to leave as soon as she could, if she could. "Are you awake?" Sango's voice whispered; she turned to see that she was also awake. Maya nodded and smiled weakly as she joked, "Yeah, but I can't move." Sango laughed quietly at the small joke, and turned to look toward Kagome and then at Inuyasha. "I wish those two could reach a common ground…it's obvious they love each other, but they both live to deny it." She whispered solemnly, frowning.

"I agree…maybe we could help them realize it?" Maya offered, smiling as an idea started to blossom.

"What do you mean?"

"Maybe we could get them to admit it…so that each of them would know."

"But they already know it…sort of."

Maya rolled her eyes and scoffed, "I don't even know them that well, and it's obvious. They argue like a married couple, and they're both so hurt after they fight!" Miroku turned in his sleep, releasing Maya so that she could sit up, careful to keep her back against him. Sango nodded, and asked, "How would we do it?" Maya smiled; it was a sinisterly evil grin that sent chills up Sango's spine. "I have a way with people and their thoughts…" she replied.

At dawn, Miroku woke by himself, and saw that everyone was still together and that they were all deep asleep. He watched the colors of the sun rising and decided to attempt waking Maya. He leaned down so that his lips hover over her ear, and he smiled, kissing her hair. "It's time to wake up, my beautiful." He whispered in a gentle voice. She turned so that her nose skimmed against his throat. "I'm not yours anymore." She growled in a low voice; he lingered in the feeling of her hot breath on his neck. He pulled her up, despite her biting his hand, and pointed at the sunset. "You could be." He told her, smiling at her awe. She stared at the brilliant colors of the sunrise as it deflected through the trees. "It's beautiful…" she muttered, wiping the sleep from her eyes.

Maya's skin was glowing in the morning light, and her eyes were smoldering in the splendor of the dawn. Miroku smiled to himself, running his fingers though her warm hair. "So are you." He said in a dreamy voice. (It's so cheesy!) She turned to him, and frowned. All of the wonder had left her eyes, and they turned dark again; the very motion had stabbed him through the heart. "Well, that wasn't the action I was expecting." He said, joking to hide his hurt. "And what exactly were you expecting?" Maya glowered, glaring at him as her anger flared, "Did you think that a few days, one break down, and a sunrise was going to fix all the hurt inside?" She pushed him away, and pulled herself as far as her tired arms would let her. "Go choke on a rock." She snapped, looking away as she bundled herself up next to Kirara and Sango.

Miroku nodded and stood, deciding to leave her alone. He walked into the trees and headed toward the clearing ahead. Before him stood a wide field of grass and wild flowers, and he frowned. He wanted to share it with Maya, but he knew she would only get angrier, assuming that all of his kindness was just attempts at getting her favor. He moved through the endless field carefully, watching his steps as he went. He learned that the field was more like a meadow that went up a hill, and down into more trees. He stared into the dark wood of the forest before him, and let his mind wonder.

He heard the crunching of grass behind him, and turned. "So, it is you." Koga said, crossing his arms over his chest, "I thought I smelled dog." Miroku felt his eyes twitch as he slowly recognized the demon. '_Oh, wonderful…_' He thought, thinking towards the already angered Inuyasha. "So, does this mean my beautiful Kagome is with you?" Koga asked, turning toward the trail of bent grass that led back towards the camp, "I have missed her so." Miroku cleared his throat, catching his attention. "Yes, but I would be cautious, because she and Inuyasha have been quarreling again." Koga smiled and turned towards the camp. "Perfect for me." He chuckled.

"Who the hell are you?!" Maya demanded, noticing a stranger skulking into their camp. She pushed herself up, surprised that she had managed to keep her balance; it made her smile. The demon turned to her, raising an eyebrow; she saw that his eyes were the color of the sky, and pupil less. And that he was a wolf demon. "I should ask the same of you!" he said, obviously surprised at her presence, "When did a cat join the mutt's little gang?"

At the sound of his voice, Inuyasha sprang up and immediately confronted him. "What are _you _doing here?" he growled, waking the rest of the group. Sango stood to walk over to Kagome, whom was pushing herself out of her tangle of bundled up blanket; her hair was in a mess and her face was still red where the tears used to be. Her appearance threw both Inuyasha and Koga off. "My dear Kogome!" Koga exclaimed, rushing to her side and kneeling beside her as he grabbed her hand, "That mutt caused you this much pain?!" Kagome stared at him in confusion, as if she had no idea who he was. "Koga?" she yawned, wiping the sleep out of her eyes with her free hand, "What are you doing here?"

"I didn't do anything to her! Get away from her!" Inuyasha snapped, slapping his hand away from hers, and standing between the two, "She's fine!" Koga scoffed and pointed. "That's what you call fine?! I thought you said you were going to keep her safe!" Koga argued.

Their bickering went on for what seemed like hours to Maya, and she called to Shippo. "I suppose they know each other?" she asked, milking her voice with annoyed sarcasm. Shippo nodded dully, shaking his head. "Koga has it in his head that Kagome is his wife, and, of course, Inuyasha hates him." Shippo explained, keeping it simple. Maya nodded, looking up at the two bickering men. She noted the way Koga stood in a dominant way, which classified him as a leader, and she examined his clothing. "I take it he's a pack leader?" she asked aloud, smiling. Shippo nodded, and continued to explain, "He used to lead a huge pack, but lately he just walks around with his two goons." He scratched at his ear boredly, and poked her in the side. "Why are you staring?" he asked. She shrugged, also confused at her uncontrolled interest in the new face. "He's interesting…" she said in a quizzical voice, "His body language is strange."

Shippo cocked his head in confusion, and climbed up onto her shoulder, scrutinizing at her eye level. He saw nothing unusual about the demon man, and he gave Maya a confused look that amused and annoyed her. She sighed, and decided to explain, in a voice low enough for only him to hear, "See the way he stands, with his back straight and his head held high, that signals that he's a leader, and has been one, as you told me. And then there's the way his body orientates around Kagome, it's not in a loving way, but in a possessive way, but the way his eyes are, they say that he adores her with a passion that I have long lost." Shippo nodded, and turned to examine some more, squinting his eyes at the bickering men; he noticed the strange glow in Koga's eyes, but he also saw the same glow in Inuyasha's, only it was stronger within his. "Yes, Inuyasha does truly love her stronger than Koga, Shippo." Maya sighed, smiling to herself; she felt a warm feeling travel through her veins, and she hugged herself.

"Maya?" she heard Miroku's voice call her, and she turned, frowning as every ounce of the warmth left her, "I take it you've met Koga?" She nodded, smiling at the bickering two. "Yes, and I've noticed that I can stand on my own." She added, smiling at his quiet dismay, "I might be able to walk by tomorrow night." She was thrilled at the thought of finally being able to get away, even though she knew it would be a sore spot for a while: she had made so many new friends, and found one that she had lost a long time ago. She looked up at him, and found herself swimming in horror at his thoughts; he was truly devastated by the results of her knowledge, and he was dreading her upcoming absence. "You're not going to leave us, are you, Maya?" Shippo asked, looking at her with his massive green eyes. She sighed somberly, and bit her lip. "I might." She replied honestly, having to look away as she thought, "I might not."

It was finally time to start moving again, and the newcomer, Koga, had still not left Kagome's side, even though she was quietly protesting his presence. To Maya's, and Miroku's, dismay, he had been placed in charge of carrying the still handicapped neko. "I don't know why I have to carry the cat, while _you _are carrying my lovely Kagome." He hissed at Inuyasha, staying close to him and the very annoyed Kagome. Maya had noticed that Koga's arrival into their group had caused all of the tension from the previous night to vanish; this had both pleased and irritated Maya, who was becoming very annoyed with the two men's arguing. "You didn't have to carry me, Wolf." She said snobbishly, wrinkling her nose at the overwhelming array of scents that were emanating off of her, "You could have just left."

He laughed at her comment sarcastically, and replied, "I'm not leaving my Kagome with that ungrateful mutt!" She sighed, half growling under her breath, and looked up, seeing the dancing figure of Kirara above them, with her newest friend, and her Miroku. "Then, perhaps you could move away from them; the smell of dog _and_ wolf is killing me." She whined, having to bury her nose in her arm. Koga laughed at that too, and turned to Inuyasha, "Hear that, dog, you 'smell.'" He sneered at him, grinning at the true rage that was becoming permanent on the half-demon's face. "She was talking about you too, Moron." Shippo said from his perch on Kagome's back. Maya had to stifle her laughter, and began to snicker. Koga growled low, and she could feel the sound vibrate throughout his body; she fell silent, and turned away to stare off into the woods.

"Give her to me, Koga." Miroku's voice sounded far away, even though it was so close. Maya didn't remember falling asleep. She felt her body moving gently, and she stirred into consciousness. When her eyes opened, she saw the fire-lit features of Koga's face, and she was breath taken; the glow from the camp fire made his eyes blaze in the dim light. She felt her entire face warm, and looked away quickly. Koga had handed her to Miroku, and his gentleness had surprised them both. "Did you sleep well, Maya?" Miroku asked, stroking her face fondly as he cradled her against his chest; she knew he would become more of a nuisance as her ailments healed. "Yes, actually; Koga proved to be a very viable pillow." She joked, smiling up at the monk. She decided to be friendly for the night; mainly because she didn't want to upset him any further.

"Will you help me stand?" she asked cautiously, "I want to try walking again." Miroku was quiet for a moment, but he nodded, and stood, helping her onto her feet. Everyone fell silent as Miroku stepped away from her: she carefully placed one foot ahead, closing her eyes as she moved the other one. She waited to feel the harsh reality of her hitting the ground, or being in Miroku's careful arms, but nothing came, and she took another step. She opened her eyes, amazed that she was still standing. "Maya!" Shippo exclaimed, grinning as he went to stand at her side. As the realization sunk in, her breathing started to increase, and she could feel the pent up adrenaline releasing inside her hot blood. She looked up, and crouched down, leaping upwards into a tree; she landed gracefully, and she smiled.

Miroku watched in quiet horror as he watched her travel about the shadowy canopy; he lacked the quiet awe that everyone else held in their excitement for her recovery. Her laughter lit up the silence, and Shippo's joined hers as he joined her. He watched her gentle figure move about the trees and the ground as she chased the little Kitsune about; and he felt a black pit of despair open up inside him, horrified at the knowledge of her upcoming departure. He turned away from all of the excitement, and settled himself next to a gnarled tree.

After a while, Maya settled down, and she sat down with the other two women, chattering happily. Kagome had fixed up a stew for everyone, and Maya's recovery had made their dinner a celebration; even though the men weren't celebrating. "Good, so that means there'll be one less person to deal with." Inuyasha had said, breaking into the trio's good time. Kagome and Sango glared at him, and Maya smiled. "Inuyasha! That's no way to treat someone after they've just recovered!" Kagome said, astounded at his immediate comment, "You-" "You'd be correct, Dog." Maya replied, interrupting

Kagome's scolding, "I will be one less person to deal with…" Inuyasha smiled, his teeth glinting sinisterly in the fire light as he spoke, "Then why don't you leave now?"

She stood, standing up straight and proud for the first time in what seemed like ages. "I never said I was leaving." She retorted, grinning at the confused look that replaced his little victory, "You won't have to deal with me, because I'm capable of taking care of myself now." A growl seeped from his throat, and she sneered at him. "How about that fight you promised me?" she challenged, releasing her claws from their sheaths, "No interruptions this time, just you and me, and a whole lot of pain and blood." Inuyasha grinned at the idea, and replied heavily, "Now, you're speaking my language."


	4. Chapter 4: A Whole Lot of Pain

Chapter Four: A whole Lot of Pain

Chapter Four: A whole Lot of Pain

The canopy splintered the early sunlight, giving the area a very sinister aura and appearance. The whole forest was silent, except for the slow foot falls of the dueling demons. Against the protests of Kagome, Sango, Shippo, and Miroku, Maya and Inuyasha were going to carry out her challenge. "I hope you're ready to die, Cat." Inuyasha growled, standing twenty yards away from her, "I'm not holding anything back." Maya laughed; her voice like the sound of Death's singing bell, "Good, a broken threat to go with a broken body; this is going to be fun."

The others watched in horror, with the exception of Koga who was rather pleased with the outcome of the previous night, as the two came to a stop, facing each other with sadistic thoughts and enthusiasm to kill. Miroku was standing at the ready, willing to do anything to keep Inuyasha from hurting his beloved; worry was written all over his face, jammed in the creases of his forehead, and painting the pale glaze over his blue eyes. Sango put her hand on his arm, drawing his attention away for a moment. "She'll be fine." She told him, her voice was quiet but reassuring, "She's not going to kill him…she just trying to prove a point to him." Miroku nodded, having already understanding this, but her words brought him little ease. "I'm not worried that she'll get killed, or kill Inuyasha…I'm worried that she might get hurt again." He said, knowing that his statement wouldn't make much sense to her; but she nodded, understanding his worry. She gave his arm a quick squeeze, and then returned to stand by the horrified and annoyed Kagome.

"Ready, Dog?" Maya asked; smiling as the warm adrenaline ran like raging stallions in her blood. Her eyes had turned a sinister shade of red as her body prepared to battle. "Ready." He replied, unsheathing Tetsuiga. At that very moment, they vanished from the plain of visibility, so eager to meet each other in battle that their demonic energy had sent them flying with the light; they reappeared in an instant, as the sound of clashing metal meeting echoed throughout the trees. Maya had stopped Tetsuiga with a dagger, shocking both him and the others. Inuyasha roared in a rage and lifted the sword again, swinging around to hit her in the side; she moved quickly, flipping back, and planting her heel into his chest, sending him back in a wail of dust and earth. She didn't wait for him to recover, and attacked again, swinging her fist at him, but he reacted and caught her arm out of reflex, swinging her over his head and towards a cluster of trees. She landed vertically on against them, and used the force of his throw to launch her self back at him; their blades landed against each other again, and she pushed herself off of them to stand behind him. He turned quick enough to halt her hand, and block her blade.

The sounds of metal clanging, and bone hitting flesh sent chills up and down their spines, exciting both of the blood-lusting demons. They landed yards apart, panting and smiling with crazed looks of pleasure. "Very good, Dog, I'm impressed that you've lasted this long…" Maya growled; her voice was low and dangerous, "It's time I introduced you to the true power of a Monk-trained neko." She kicked off the ground, sailing at him so fast that it appeared that she was floating above the ground; she turned raising her hands up, "Soul collection: Claw of Hell's fire!" A ball of crimson energy appeared in her hands and as she turned to meet her opponent, she separated the ball, bringing it into each separate hand, and she pulled her claws through the flesh and fabric of his chest; she brought the handle of her dagger down on his hand, knocking Tetsuiga from his grip and kicked it far away, pinning it into a tree as it evaporated into its weaker form.

Backing away, Inuyasha watched in horror as the weave of his fire-rat kimono singed away where her claws had met it, and he grimaced against the burning sting of his ripped flesh. He pulled off his kimono, and threw it aside; watching the red fire as it vanished from the fibers. "So, the cat has a few tricks in her bag, big deal. I can still beat you." He said, panting slightly. Maya grinned at his fervor and tossed her blade aside. He came at her at that moment, and roared, "Iron Reaper Soul Stealer!" I thin that's how it goes, I haven't watched the series in a while, and I'm going by memory a lot lately, so let me know if I'm wrong Maya ducked back, watching the bright light of demonic energy fly out of his claws; it sliced through a strand of her russet hair. She gulped and moved back, smiling nervously at the attack.

She moved at him again, and turned as he did, predicting his movements, and landed a hard fist under his chin as she flew underneath him, landing crouched down as he went flying against the hard ground. Blood trickled from his lip as he stood up, and he came at her again; this time he got around her a dragged his claws across her neck and punched her in the jaw. After that, it was a flurry of fast movements and blocks. Miroku and Kagome watched in complete horror at the two, seeing the crimson strands of blood flying outwards like rain drops and spider's silk. Koga was standing against a tree not far from the horrified duo, impressed with the neko's fighting ability and stamina. He watched solemnly, noting her every attack and movement, seeing her as a possible liability.

Maya twisted around, landing another fist, but this time, there was a horrifying crunch of bone, and her hand went through his skin; she gasped at the slick feeling of blood and flesh around her fist, and she backed away. She stared at the wide eyed demon, as he doubled over, hands over the gaping wound. "Damn, wench!" He howled; his comment sent another flurry of rage through her, and she attacked once more, landing a final punch under his chin again; this time she sent him up and backwards, and he landed in a limp pile a few yards away. He coughed, spitting out blood, holding his stomach.

Horrified, Maya fell to her knees, staring at the damage, and she nodded. She pushed herself up, and headed towards him again. Kagome and Miroku came rushing towards them, and arrived just as she collapsed next to the half-demon: bruised all over and bleeding. She pushed her self up on to her side, holding her hand over the shaking Inuyasha's wound; he spat at her, "Get away!" She looked at him through her blackening eye, and whispered, "Shut up…" She waved her arm in a circle above him, and it started to glow a hazy green color, "Soul collection: Heaven's Healing Wind." She placed her hand on the wound, and he howled in pain. His skin started to ripple around the open gash, and rose upwards, appearing like fibers; he roared in pain again as the skin strands began to lace together, winding and smoothing out, until there wasn't any sign of the wound anymore, and his pain had vanished.

Kagome and Miroku stared in wonder at the healed skin, in so much of a shock that they didn't notice that Maya had collapsed again, this time unconscious. Koga, Sango, and Shippo came to the group's side immediately, worrying over both the dumbfounded Inuyasha, and the comatose neko. Koga bent over her, not caring for his enemy, and pulled her into his arms. "Hey, you gaping idiot! She's not awake!" Koga yelled at Miroku, who was staring in shock at Inuyasha's mended skin. Sango stood over him, and shook him. "Come on, we need to get her somewhere safe." She said, pulling him and Kagome up.

"What do you mean _her?!_" Inuyasha growled, glaring at the limp form in Koga's arms, "She could've killed me! Almost killed me!" In a moment of rage, Sango's hand slapped across his face, and she glared at him with a sick look. "She didn't though! And she probably just saved your life!" she shouted, "Now, get up and let's move!" She turned on her heal, calling Kirara to her side. "I'll carry her. I can get her to my den faster than you could." Koga told her, glancing back at Inuyasha, "Just follow my scent, stupid."

When Maya woke, she found herself surrounded in thick pelts; they stank of scents of wolf and animal decay. She almost would've gotten sick if she hadn't found it comforting instead of sickening. She groaned as the pain of her battle hit her; it came all at once and she had to bite her lip in order to hold in the beckoning scream behind her teeth. She felt the new blood trickle down her chin, and groaned in annoyed agony. "Are you awake?" an unfamiliar voice asked her, she turned and looked up at the new face: it was a wolf demon as far as she knew, and his hair was white as snow and spiked up on his head. She pushed herself up onto her elbows, grunting against the burst of pain that followed the action. "Ah! Don't move! Koga said that you were pretty beat up, and that I was supposed to keep you still." The demon told her, gently pushing her back down; after he was sure that she was going to stay down, he sighed and settled himself into a low crouch next to her, "I'm Hakkaku."

She stared up at him, wary of his strange friendliness, and nodded at him. "I'm Maya." She replied, smiling weakly at him and the cracking in her tired voice, "Where are Koga and Sango?" She vaguely remembered hearing their voices as she was moved around, and then all she felt was the wind on her face…like she had been flying through the air. He shrugged, glancing back over his shoulder; Maya craned her neck to look with him, seeing the small bright opening in the cave, and, as her eyes adjusted to the light, she saw the edge of the forest. "They left after a while: Koga was impatient that the others hadn't gotten here." He explained, turning back to face her, "Are you feeling okay? Are you hungry or something?" Maya looked him in the eyes, and she saw that he was extremely uncomfortable around her. "I'm fine, and I would like for you to go look for them." She said, using her strongest voice.

Hakkaku rolled his eyes and laughed slightly, "I'm not allowed to leave your side, Maya. Koga would skin me alive if I did." Maya grimaced at the fear in his voice, and suddenly she knew exactly where she was, and why she stank like wolf. "So, is this the Wolf den?" she asked, her eyes lighting up with wonder as she pushed herself up to sit, against the worrisome antics of Hakkaku's panic; she looked around and saw that she was in a sort of tent, made from patches of animal pelts, "Wow…woodsy." She laughed and smiled at him, trying to calm him down. "I'm fine; I'm a lot stronger than old Koga thinks." She said, winking at him, "So, relax." He nodded nervously, and sat cross legged a couple feet away form her. After a few quiet moments, another man joined them: she learned that his name was Ginta, and that he was part of this invisible 'pack'. Maya smiled at her company and she tried to get them to talk with her. "Are you two brothers?" she asked, looking up at her two silent companions. "Yes, we're all brothers in the pack." Ginta replied, smiling weakly at her.

"Oh…how many are in your pack?" she asked, not allowing the silence to take over.

"Many, I don't count them."

"Oh…"

She frowned, upset by their avoidance of her. She stared down at the pile of animal skins surrounding her, and she reached out, grabbing hold of what looked to be a fox pelt. "Where did all of these furs come from?" she asked, sniffing it: it had a strong scent of dog on it, but it was an unfamiliar smell. "Koga had everyone give up their bedding when he brought you in." Hakkaku replied, grinning at her, "Sorry if it stinks." She realized that she had been wrinkling her nose, and she smiled, laughing sorely. "It's just…odd, having this many unrecognized scents around me all at once." She explained, her voice apologizing. He shook his head, still smiling. "I understand; there's no need to apologize!" Ginta said, looking rather flushed, "We aren't the best smelling bunch anyway." She laughed at the ruddy color dotting his cheeks, and she smiled at them.

"It's not a bad smell." She told them, smiling to show her honesty, "It's just a strong one." They smiled back at her, and then they turned towards the entrance of the hut, looking alert. Maya sat up to see Koga walking towards her and the other two; there was a satisfied smile on his lips, as if he had been worried she would be less than well. "Are you feeling better?" he asked her, glancing up at his pack mates, "These two didn't bother you too much did they?" She smiled at the concern in his voice, feeling warm in his presence. "Yes, I'm fine: it just hurts to move much." She replied, grinning, "And these two have been very kind. I enjoyed their company."

Koga nodded at her, and turned to stare hard at the two demons, who were still standing up straight and alert. "Very well, go and hunt." He commanded them, and they stood, "There's a storm coming, and I want to make sure that there's enough food for us and our guests." He muttered angrily to himself about having to baby sit the injured half-breed, and then he turned to walk out behind them. "Are you alright by yourself?" he asked, glancing back at her over his shoulder, "I can send someone in here if you want." She smiled, and nodded. "I'll be fine." She said, and her voice cracked as she spoke, making her blush. He smiled and nodded, letting the deer skin cover fall over the entrance way as he left. Maya made a small bet with herself, giving Miroku about five minutes before he poked his head in to join her.

As if on cue, he pushed past the cover, and was at her side immediately. "Are you okay?" he asked; his eyes were wide and worried as he examined her wounds. She growled in annoyance, and shoved him back; the movement sent waves of pain through her and she groaned, holding her side. "Ouch." She muttered, glaring at him, "I'm fine!" He frowned at her. "I'm sorry…for the way I was the other day." He said, glancing away, "I know I hurt you bad, and I know it'll be a while before you'll trust me again, but can't you at least give me a chance to prove that I love you?" She set her lips into a hard line, staring at him hotly. She was thinking, considering. Her gaze softened for a moment, and she sighed, letting her arms fall to her side.

"I'm not sure that's possible, Miroku." She said quietly, feeling the tear inside flare up, "It's been years since then, but every time I see you, or hear your voice, it hurts so much that I can't breathe." He was frowning still, and staring aside, not allowing her to see the pain in his eyes; he didn't want to guilt her into anything. "Granted," she spoke a little louder, her voice thoughtful and gentle, "I do love you…" He looked up at her, and she flinched at the genuine hope in his eyes. He sat next to her and grabbed her hands, holding them both in his large hands. "Then let yourself love me, and it won't hurt anymore." He pleaded, biting his lip. She looked into his eyes, and frowned again; she was about to get her revenge, and now it was bittersweet. "Old scars never stop hurting, and I'm not going to let you make more." She whispered, looking away.

She didn't want to see the broken look on his face, and the pain in his eyes; but she could feel it in his hands: they tightened around her smaller ones, and then they went limp. "Are you sure that's what you want?" he asked, turning away from her; his voice was weak and full of hurt. She nodded, closing her eyes over the hot tears that were coming. "Y-yes," she replied, grimacing at the force it took to speak, "Please, just leave me alone." He stood up at that instant, and he left her with out a word. After the light vanished from the wall, she fell onto her stomach, and sobbed into the massive mountain of pelts: her revenge had hurt more than he had hurt her, but she knew it would be clean cut now, and he had taken that piece of her heart with him.

"Miroku?!" Sango had called to him as he rushed out of the hut, and into the trees. He could hear her rapid footfalls as she came after him. "Miroku, slow down!" she told him, grabbing his arm, "What happened?" He shook his head, keeping his head low and eyes closed. She shook his arm gently, and murmured soothingly, "You can tell me." He opened his eyes slowly, looking at her with a pained look on his face. He hated himself. "She told me to leave…that she didn't want me." He said weakly, shuttering as he spoke; he felt so cold, "That she wasn't going to allow herself to love me, and so, now I'm leaving." He pushed by her, looking forward. She followed him still.

"So, you're just going to leave like that?!" she demanded, giving him a stern look.

"I'm not going to fight her anymore."

"Fine, don't! But you're going to hurt her a lot more if you just vanish again!"

"She told me to leave her alone."

"Then leave her be! Let her come to her own terms, but don't you dare abandon her! She might not love you, but she definitely needs you! She needs who you used to be! Not who you're trying to be!"

Miroku stared at her; there was pained passion in her voice, and he saw that she wasn't just talking Maya anymore. "Sango…" he whispered, smiling weakly at her; he took her hands into his, making her blush, "I knew you couldn't resist me forever." She slammed her fist into his jaw, glaring wildly. He laughed, and rubbed against the red spot on his cheek. "Good to have you back." She said, straightening up and smiling, "Now, come back with me." He nodded, and followed her back into the clearing where the others waited.

"What was that all about?" Inuyasha asked, looking at them with prying golden eyes. Miroku just shrugged, and Sango ignored him, walking to join Kirara and Shippo by Maya's hut. He frowned at them, and glared at the monk. "Let's just say, I had to be knocked down a few pegs." Miroku said to him, patting him on the shoulder; laughing when he screamed in pain and faltered onto his knees. "You ass!" Inuyasha bellowed at him, chunking a random rock at him, barely skimming the side of his face.

Sango smiled after the two of them, and turned back to the tiny forms of Kirara and Shippo. "Are you ready to visit her?" she asked, getting more than enthusiastic replies form the kitsune, "Alright, just let me make sure she's alright to have you in." She pushed aside the tanned skin covering the entrance into Maya's hut, and knew at once that she wasn't ready for company; she walked in quietly, hushing Shippo to wait. "Maya…?" she cooed, kneeling down next to the sobbing demon. She had never seen so much humanity in a demon before, and she could feel her pain nipping at her skin. "I didn't want to…but it's for the best." Maya cried, glancing up at her friend with glassy green eyes, "I didn't want to tell him no." Sango nodded and put her hand on her cheek, wiping away some of the lingering tears. "I know you didn't." she purred, trying to soothe the distraught demon.

"Did he leave?" Maya asked, managing to keep her voice through the sobs.

"He almost did."

"Why didn't he?"

"I told him not too."

"And he stayed? For you?"

"I'm not sure who he's staying for, but he's getting a little bit more of his lecherous side back."

Maya smiled, and wiped the final tears away, pushing her sore body up so she could sit. "That's great." She said quietly, coughing to clear her throat, "Maybe he'll start to see what I do." Her smiled told Sango her exact thoughts. "I could never! Not after what you've been through!" she screeched, panicked by Maya's fast recovery of her composure. The neko beamed at her, and laughed her bell like laugh. "He's not _my_ Miroku anymore, Sango," she said; her voice was sure and strong as she spoke, "He's yours."


	5. Chapter 5: A Proposition

Chapter Five: A Proposition

Chapter Five: A Proposition

Maya had been able to move around better after a couple of days, and she had become accustom to the shy looks from Miroku, and the warmer ones from Sango and Koga. Kagome had become extremely busy with her care over Inuyasha, who was still very much wounded and very much angry with his loss. Maya offered many times to heal him, but he denied her help arrogantly, stating that he would heal just fine on his own and didn't need her help. Kagome seemed to not mind his angry growling and bickering, because he was calmer now that Koga had appeared to lose interest in her presence; this both intrigued Maya and frightened her.

It was early in the morning, and as usual, Maya was the first and only one awake. She moved about the camp quietly, listening to the soothing sounds of the snoring demons and the gentle breaths of her companions. She walked out into the woods, stretching out her tired muscles and aching bones; she had learned that Inuyasha had managed to crack a few of her ribs in their fight, but she knew that he had sustained the most of the blows. She wondered through the sweet scented trees, inhaling the smell of the still coming storm: it had been circling around the encampment ominously, growing stronger and angrier by the day. She smiled, letting her kimono fall gently over her shoulders as the sun warmed her chilled flesh.

She smiled still as she came upon her hiding place: an open meadow with a giant tree in the center of it all. The branches climbed over the grassy meadow, casting intricate patterns of shadows that seemed to paint of the dead grass. She gazed at it in wonder, imagining the life of the magnificent entity. How many winters had this beautiful creation survived through? Who had said their pledges beneath it? She let her imagination run free, spinning delicate stories of lovers and warriors. She was so lost in thought that she hadn't noticed someone joining her in the sleepy meadow. "It's beautiful, isn't it?" a deep, familiar voice said. She jumped, and turned to face Koga, who was smiling at her. "Yes, he is." She replied, flustering with her thoughts and words, "The tree I mean." He looked at her in perplexity, and looked back up at the massive effigy of time. "It's a male?" he asked quizzically, staring in thought up at it.

"Yes, I can tell by the pollen's scent." She told him, looking away to hide her embarrassment.

"I see…that's very interesting."

He looked back at her, and smiled. "What are you doing out here so early?" he asked, his voice was genuine and curious. She shrugged, explaining that she always woke early, and that she had found the place out of boredom a day or two ago. He nodded, listening intensely and hanging on her every word. It made her feel uncomfortable, like she was being questioned about her life. "I'm sorry." She said inadvertently, glancing down at her feet, watching her tail sway gently to and fro. "Don't be." He said, sounding amused by her awkwardness, "It's not surprising that you would choose a place like this to think." He was being strange; she was used to his arrogant talk and dominating stance, but now he was being gentle, and kind, like she was an equal to him.

"Are you feeling okay?" she asked, her voice was louder than she had meant for it to be, and she sounded like a confused kit. He nodded, smiling again as he was brought out of his quiet thinking. "I'm fine." He said, "Am I being strange?" He looked genuinely confused, as if he hadn't a clue what could be wrong. "You're acting differently." She elucidated, crossing her arms over her chest as she observed him. He grinned at her and moved to stand in front of her. "Am I now?" he inquired, smiling a small devious smile. She felt all of the blood rush to her cheeks, realizing his motives at once. He was _flirting_ with her. He ran his russet colored hands though her hair, smiling to himself. "So, beautiful." He murmured, looking thoughtful again. She stepped back, scratching her ear nervously. "Umm…what are you talking about?" she stuttered, cursing at her feminine emotions again; she knew exactly what was going on, and she was intrigued by the idea, but her fragile mind wasn't allowing her to look it.

He grinned at her again, and followed her until she had her back against the tree. She had cornered herself. "I don't know what I saw in Kagome anymore; she's like a faint glimmer compared to you." He said considerately, raising his hand up to just hover over her cheek, barely skimming her warm flesh, "You…I haven't ever seen someone like you…it's strange." She could feel her heart racing in her chest as she turned the events over in her own panic stricken mind. _'Those eyes…he's in love with me?! This isn't good…but is it? I mean, I have been more than interested in him…but good things don't happen this fast! What if he abandons his feelings for me like he did the ones for Kagome?' _Her mind was alive with her tizzy of thoughts.

"I'm going to make you my wife." He declared firmly, laying his warm hand against her cheek, "Your skin's just a soft as your hair…" His voice was milky with wonder as he looked her over. She was losing herself to his gaze, and suddenly all of her worries vanished: she was exploring his soul now, searching for any falsities in his words. She saw the pink flutter around his aura, and the smoldering look about the blue wonder in his eyes. Her heart skipped a beat, and she pulled herself away from him, staring dreamily at the ground. She hugged herself, thinking again. "You want to what?" she asked, glancing back at him and his warm stare. "Make you mine. I want you as my wife, as my mate." He told her; the small, emotion-filled smile appeared on his lips again, and he held out his hand to her. _'This is weird…usually he's pretty forward, but he's being gentle…'_ She thought; having to cancel every assumption and conclusion she had drawn about him.

Her heart was fluttering about her chest like a caged butterfly as she took his hand, aware of her decision, and their emotions. He pulled her into his arms, smiling. "So, you are to be my wife then?" he asked, hopeful. She stepped back, looking him over once more, and then smiling; she felt as if every ounce of pain had just flushed from her body. "We'll see." She replied in a serious and playful tone, smiling as her interest amplified.

They had walked back to the 'village', as Koga had called it, together. They spoke quietly to each other, just discussing themselves. She told him of her life in the monastery, and then her journeying after her banishment. They were so caught up their discussion that they didn't notice the prying eyes of Miroku and of Sango. "Wow, that's an odd pair." Sango said jokingly, hosting her boomerang onto her back and fastening around her; she looked up at Miroku, "Are you alright?" He nodded firmly, pressing his lips into a hard line as he pried his eyes from the two of them. He was hurt; she could see that much. "For the record, you're overreacting." She told him, crossing her arms.

"It's just weird." He said dully, glancing away from her.

"It's just normal. And I'm sure Kagome will be more than happy to hear that he's moved on finally."

"Inuyasha will be thrilled."

"That's for sure."

They walked toward the hut that Kagome had been keeping Inuyasha in, and walked in to find her straddling his back, trying to hold him down. "Keep still, you damn idiot!" she barked at him, "I'm just replacing the bandages! Quit being a baby!" He knocked her off, and turned to glare at her, "You're hurting me!" Miroku and Sango broke into a fit of laughter at the battling pair. "I think this fight might be even more viscous than the one with Maya." Sango joked heartily, smiling at the flushed face of Kagome. "Shut up!" Inuyasha growled at her, looking down heatedly.

After another tousle with Kagome, and Miroku who jumped in to help, they managed to get Inuyasha to hold still long enough for Kagome to rip off the old bandages. Inuyasha was cursing to himself as she cleaned the cuts and bruises and then wrapped fresh linen around his muscled chest. "You're such a baby, Inuyasha." Miroku teased, grinning humorously at the half-demon, "You can't even handle being cared for. Such a waste of a man…" Inuyasha glared at him hotly from his place under Kagome and Sango's work, and he glowered, "I'll show you a waste…"

"Have you seen Koga and Maya yet?" Sango whispered to Kagome, trying to keep her voice low enough so that Miroku wouldn't hear.

"No, I've been dealing with Inuyasha ever since I woke up." Kagome scoffed, irritated.

"Well, apparently they've taken a liking to each other."

"Wow. That's a relief."

"I figured you would like that news."

Inuyasha was smiling fiercely to himself, obviously basking in the glow of his apparent victory over Koga. "Sit." Kagome groaned, standing up just as he went to the ground. "Oww! What did I do?!" he demanded, laying there in the dirt trembling in pain. "You needed an ego check." Kagome replied, gathering up her medical kit, and putting back into her bag. She rolled her eyes at the whimpering man and followed Sango and Miroku out the door. She was expecting to see Maya and Koga together, but instead she saw that Maya had started her day with Shippo, chasing him around as he jumped about the rooftops and the irritated forms of the other demons. "Morning, Kagome!" the two rang like a harmony, waving at her as they came to greet them. "Is Inuyasha still being a brat?" Shippo asked, and she nodded in reply, ignoring the angry "I heard that!" That came from within the sealed hut.

"I'm sorry for hurting him so badly." Maya said to her, looking at her feet in shame. "It's fine; he needed a good ass-kicking and he's whiny like that anyway." Kagome told her, smiling. Maya nodded and smiled back, amused by the angry ranting going on in the tiny hut in front of her; she could hear the pounding of his fists on the walls. "Where's Koga?" Sango asked, trying not to seem too eager. Maya shrugged. "I haven't a clue." She said, smiling as she turned to play some more with Shippo.

All at once there was a clash of lightning, and it got darker as the clouds above hovered over them, blocking out the sun. Maya grimaced as the smell of rain hit her, and she rushed toward her hut, with Shippo and the other's close behind. As soon as they were inside, it started to pour outside, and it came down in a crashing thundering. The rain sounded like bullets being fired off above them, and Maya huddled next to Shippo, frowning with a pained look on her face. "God, I hate the rain." She murmured, holding Shippo to her chest. He nodded gently, and patted her hand as she shivered in the corner.

Sango groaned, and called out to Kirara, who came prancing in and shook off the water in little specks until her fur was puffed up and dry. "It's going to rain all night." Maya groaned, listening to the thunder. The other's nodded in agreement; Miroku was becoming increasingly upset with the knowledge of being trapped with Maya all night. He knew that she was uncomfortable with or with out him, but his own selfish pride wanted away from her. "I'm going to go stay with Inuyasha." He announced, running out into the rain. He saw Koga sprinting towards him, and felt another pang of jealousy. "Is Maya in there?" Koga asked him. He nodded and walked toward Inuyasha's hut.

Koga stared after him, confused by the monk's hostility, but he didn't linger on it very long. He pushed aside the heavy deerskin, and smiled when he saw Maya huddled up under a fur. She looked up and smiled weakly. He had to stifle his laughter, realizing that she was disturbed by the rain; and because Shippo was starting to look like a balloon under her grip. He pushed past Kagome and Sango, seating himself next to her. He grabbed hold of one of her hands, pulling it from Shippo's neck with great ease. "Are you alright?" he asked, keeping his voice low. She nodded feverishly, and smiled at him again.

Kagome watched the two of them with great interest; she found Koga's behavior awkward compared to the way he acted around her. He was, some how, gentler with Maya, and kinder in a way. Everything about him seemed to glow when he looked at her, and she was obviously pleased with him, because her entire face went red when she looked at him. There was electricity around them, and it was choking her. She looked at Sango, who was apparently comfortable with the pair in the room with them, and she was preoccupied with Kirara anyway. Shippo had managed to break free of Maya's death grip and had fled to Kagome's side, smiling nervously. "Can you smell that?" he whispered to her, glancing back at the two of them. Kagome shook her head, but understood because she could _feel_ it. It was warmer around the two of them.

Maya smiled as Koga draped another fur over her shoulders, and then added his arm, pulling her tight to him. She rested her head on his shoulders, not minding the extra warmth. They looked at each other and smiled, staying silent. It was quiet for hours, with nothing but the sounds of breathing and the occasional cough.

It was getting colder in the hut, and the rain had started to slow into a gentle patter on the roof. Kagome was shivering under her winter coat, and Sango had resorted to sitting as close to Kirara as possible, which had transformed into her beast form in fear that her master would freeze to death. "We need to get a fire going." Maya whispered to Koga, "They're going to freeze!" He nodded, and stood up from his place beside her. He walked out into the rain, after Hakkaku and Ginta. Maya turned back to the shivering women, feeling selfish of her warmth; demons had such warm blood, that it would take more than a winter storm to even give them a chill. She stood and pulled her blanket off, draping it over the trembling Kagome; she had it the worst of the two of them. "Where's he going, Maya?" Shippo asked, rubbing his little hands briskly over Kagome's arm. She glanced back at the entrance, and sighed, "Hopefully, he's going to get fire wood."

Sango looked up at her, smiling weakly as she pulled Kirara's warm tail against her chest. "He is." She said firmly, "I doubt he would want to upset you, Maya." Kagome and Shippo nodded in agreement. She smiled warmly at them, hugging herself. "I feel guilty to tell you the truth." She told them solemnly, watching the entrance vigilantly for him, "It's strange, the way I feel towards him…but I know it's real…but there's doubts…and guilt." She frowned as she spoke, and bit her bottom lip. "About finding someone so soon after breaking from Miroku?" Sango asked, and she nodded.

"Yes, I didn't think good things came to people like me…especially after what I just did." She replied, looking sad.

"Good things happen to good people, Maya. And you are a good person."

"I'm not a person…I'm not human."

"Neither is Koga or Inuyasha, and surprisingly, you're more human than the both of them."

"Thanks…but I still feel guilty."

"That will pass…Miroku will come around soon enough."

Maya nodded doubtfully, but she knew he would move on just as quickly as she had; he would just have to sustain then feelings she always felt and was now finally free of. She pulled her kimono around her tightly, and smiled. She didn't know why, and she figured that she never would, but the Gods had given her something to live for.

Koga had returned with Ginta and Hakkaku, and an armful of fire wood. He and Maya cut small holes in the roof, while Hakkaku covered it with a makeshift vent. After the fire had been started, Koga dismissed the dripping duo from the hut, and they left in a quiet rush, obviously wanting to avoid the icy rain. Kagome and Sango huddled round the fire joyously, shedding their blankets and coats after a while of intense heat therapy. Maya returned to her place by Koga's side, smiling gratefully at him. "Thank you." She whispered, kissing his cheek gingerly. He smiled victoriously to himself and gave her a gentle squeeze. "It was my pleasure." He replied, "Besides, I don't need frozen corpses in my den." She grimaced at the idea, but nodded at his obvious try for nonchalant ness.

It was quiet again, but this time it was a happy calm that settled into the den. The crackling of the fire was enough for them, and soon enough, Kagome and Sango had fallen into a deep sleep. Maya smiled groggily at them, and settled her head against Koga's chest, yawning. "You cans sleep." He purred to her, stroking the side of her cheek with his fingertips, "I'll keep you safe." She nodded, and closed her eyes, letting the dreamy warmth settle over her tired body as she fell asleep too.

Inuyasha was being oddly quiet; this was what was bothering Miroku. He had been hoping the half-demon would bark incessantly, so he could forget what he had seen and the jealousy that came with it; but he didn't speak. Inuyasha just stared at the wall, looking thoughtful and pained at the same time. "What's wrong with you?" Miroku asked, "You haven't said one insulting thing all night."

"Nothing, letch." Inuyasha replied, not moving his eyes.

"What's on your mind then?"

"It's none of your business."

"Well, maybe I can give you some advice."

"Heh, yeah…"

"It's about Kagome."

"Damn, mind reader."

"Speak."

Inuyasha glared at the obvious joke, and turned to face him, sitting cross legged. "I'm just worried about her, okay." He explained, not making eye contact. Miroku nodded, and leaned back against the wall of the hut. "And I'm an Indian kind." He said sarcastically, "What's really on your mind?" Inuyasha pursed his lips, looking thoughtful again. He crossed his arms and looked the monk in the eye this time. "Just her in general…" he said warily, waiting for the next sarcastic blow; but Miroku stayed quiet and beckoned him to continue with his hand, "That's it." Miroku nodded and sighed, "You're going to lose her at this rate, my friend."

"What do you mean?!" Inuyasha demanded, looking defensive.

"I mean, if you don't show her your true feelings, she's going to find someone else to replace you."

Inuyasha looked troubled by this, and he shook his head. "I don't know what you're talking about." He lied, trying to look unbothered and offhanded. Miroku scoffed and gave him a stern look of disbelief. "You do realize that she has feelings for you, right?" he said, holding up his hand to examine his nails; Inuyasha shrugged at him, "Well, she does and women can change their minds pretty quickly if their emotions aren't tended too." Inuyasha looked solemn, and he rolled his eyes. "She doesn't feel anything for me." He muttered, sounding like an upset child.

"What makes you say that?" Miroku asked, giving him a quizzical look.

"She's so angry with me all the time, not to mention the 'sits' I endure."

"It's merely her way of hiding those feelings: it's the man's solemn duty to decipher these clues and take hold of the conclusion."

"You talk like she's a damn puzzle."

"Alas, women are so much so."

"Yeah."

"Anyway, you feel the same about each other, and you should show her."

"But how?"

"Let me teach you the way to a woman's heart."


	6. Chapter 6: Journey to Aika's Village

Chapter Six: Journey to Aika's Village

Chapter Six: Journey to Aika's Village

"So, are you going to come with us, Maya?" Shippo asked, giving her a full dose of his big green eyes. She smiled halfheartedly, and looked away. "I'm not sure." She told him, sounding distressed. She looked up at Koga, whom was walking quietly next to her; they were leading the group out of the woods and onto a nearby path that supposedly led into a human village twenty miles away. Shippo frowned at her, looking slightly heart broken at the idea of her not coming. "I don't think I will be this time." She told him sadly, smiling weakly, "Unless, it would be alright if I brought along a friend of two." She could hear Inuyasha's protests all the way from the back of the group, "Hell no! Those wolves aren't coming with us!" Koga turned to look back at him, and sneered. "Well, you're gonna have to deal with us until we get to the village anyway." He called back to him, bringing another tumult of protests.

Shippo erupted into his own personal celebration, and hugged her neck. "Hey, let's not cut off my circulation, okay?" she joked, pulling him from her neck, "Go sit on Kagome's shoulder for a bit, 'kay?" He nodded and lept from her shoulder to Kagome's, filling her in on Maya's extended presence in the group. "You don't have too." She said to Koga, looking at him considerately, "I know how much you dislike Inuyasha…you don't have to stay for my sake." He shrugged, and grabbed hold of her hand. "It doesn't matter what I want right now." He told her, smiling, "You want to go, so I'm going too. Besides, I enjoy torturing dog-face." She giggled at him, and he made a face, making her laugh harder.

After that, they walked in silence, hand in hand, leading the group out of the woods and onto a dirt road that lead into a cluster of brown hills. "During the spring, those hills are the greenest things in the world." Koga told her, "And the sides of this road have swarms of wild flowers everywhere." She smiled at the thought, imagining what it looked like. The concept of spring was a shaky one wit her, being that she loved the cold that winter brought; the only part she liked about the warmer season was the beauty it sprang to life in. "Sounds beautiful." She commented, smiling at him again. He nodded, looking around as he strode next to her.

Maya had been watching his movements, studying his body's movements and language: he was very relaxed when she was touching him, but he would tense up the moment she would step away. It made her smile to see the unintentional actions that she lived to familiarize with; and it ensured her that he was true to what he had told her: that he was fanatical about her.

She turned to see if Shippo was still with Kagome, ready to talk with someone that wouldn't make her turn every shade of red, but instead her eyes fell on Miroku, who was staring at Koga with a sort of vehemence that made her feel defensive. There was jealousy in his eyes, and his aura was a sickly green and black color. She blinked at him, and then let her eyes wonder to Sango, who was walking silently next to him. She was looking particularly angry, and Maya understood that he was ignoring her. Maya sighed exasperatingly, and turned to go and walk with Sango. She smiled shyly at Miroku, who looked away with miserable valor, as she passed him and joined Sango. "You do realize that glaring won't get you anywhere." She whispered to the irritated woman, smiling at the look she was given. "He's gawking after you two like an awe struck school girl!" Sango hissed back at her, giving her a look of desperation.

"He is staring, but not in awe: he's jealous." Maya told her in a low voice.

"I got that much."

"Anyway, you have to get him to stop…it's making my skin crawl."

"But how am I supposed to do that when he won't even listen to me?"

"Get creative. It's time you let him know that you're interested."

The color drained from Sango's face and she shook her head immediately. "I can't!" she argued weakly. Maya scoffed and put her arm around her shoulders. "My dear, you have to let your pride go." She told her in a maternal voice, "Otherwise, you'll never get what you want." Sango gave her sulking smile, nodding as she understood. "Come on, flirt a little." Maya teased, poking her in the side, "I'll be listening." She skipped ahead of everyone again, joining Koga at his side, and slipping her arm around his. He looked at her with an amused look as she whispered softly to him.

Sango watched Maya working, and realized that she was demonstrating a way to get Miroku's attention. She grimaced and decided to wait until later. _'I'll try in the village.'_ She told herself firmly, tightening her hands into fists at her side, blushing. She looked up to see a disappointed look on Maya's face as she glanced back at her. "Err…"Sango sighed, glancing at Miroku, whom had calmed down a bit, "Feeling better yet?" He looked at her as if he hadn't a clue what she was talking about. "I've been just perfect." He told her, forcing a toothy smile that made her want to laugh. She nodded, and then looked away, deciding that she wasn't ready.

Maya was swaying while she walked, like a drunken old man stumbling down an empty street. This both annoyed Inuyasha to great lengths as he carried Kagome along with them. She had walked most of the way with them, but had slowed quite a bit after about ten miles. He looked back to see her resting her chin boredly on his shoulder. "You look like hell." He said, "Are you sure you're okay?" She nodded weakly, yawning, "Yeah. I'm just bored is all." He gave her a stern look over and the nodded, turning back to face the crowd ahead of them.

Everyone had been walking for most of the day now, and the sun was beginning to kiss the tops of the trees. "Hey, wolf-breath, how much longer until we're in this village of yours?" Inuyasha called out, grinning at the flinch he got out of Koga; he also noticed that Maya's tail had bristled up, which was like a double bonus to him. "We're almost there: it's just over this next hill." Koga called back, "Getting tired, half-breed?" Inuyasha barked a cough-like laugh, "Nah, I'm just tired of staring after your ass." He heard Koga chuckle heartily, and then he took off in a fury of winds and dust. Maya stayed behind, turning to check on everyone. "Hey, do you think you can walk the rest of the way?" Inuyasha asked Kagome; she nodded sleepily and he put her down onto her feet, waiting to make sure that she would be able to walk, and "Good. See you after I kick his ass."

He sprang into a fast sprint, following the trail of dust falling back onto the ground. He found Koga standing against a tree just outside a small, homey village. "See, I told you it was close." Koga said, and then he grinned, "Upset you couldn't watch my ass anymore?" Inuyasha sneered at him, and charged at him. "Not quite!" he yelled, swinging a fist at the wolf. Koga jumped back, dodging the attack and swinging his leg around, nailing him in the chest; he slid back, kicking up dirt underneath him and leaving tracks on the ground. "You must like being trapped in huts for weeks at a time." He growled, cracking his knuckles, "Good, because I'm gonna put you under one."

Maya could hear the fighting ahead and she groaned, running after them. She found them in close range of each other, just throwing punches at each other. "Damn, children!" she snapped, feeling her rage flaring up as she watched their brawl. She waited for the others to join her before moving in to stop them. She shoved them apart, stepping in between them. "Hey!" they both growled at her. She hissed loudly and glared portentously. "Enough of this!" she shouted, "I'm tired of all this senselessness." She turned on Inuyasha first, getting so close up to him that her nose barely skimmed his. "Are you _trying_ to get yourself killed?!" she demanded, not waiting for an answer, "Or do enjoy making Kagome work her fingers to the bone taking care of _you_?" He looked at her with a child-like discontent, and he frowned; she was good at hitting his sore spots. She shoved him back and then turned on Koga; it was on him that her anger was the worst. She screamed at him angrily and even punched him. He said nothing to her also, but instead stared at her with some kind of shame written onto his face. "I can't believe this." She growled, stomping away from the both of them.

She walked into the village, only getting angrier when the villagers ran in fear of her, screaming, "Demon!!" She went into the local temple, and sat herself down in front of the statue of a goddess. She recognized it as the goddess of love, Aika Yuki. She smiled at it weakly, finding herself envying the beauty of the statue. She crossed her legs and laid her hands down in her lap, palms up. _'Meditating in a temple…isn't this ironic?'_ She thought to herself, and then her thoughts went blank as she let herself relax.

"Where did the 'demon' go?" Miroku asked an old woman. She shrugged and looked up at him. "I haven't a clue, handsome." She said with a coy smile, "Have you come to rescue me?" He grimaced and laughed nervously, standing up to look around. He sighed, angry that he had been sent after her; Inuyasha had to be tied down and re-bandaged since the fight had reopened many of his wounds, and Koga was sitting silently, looking pathetic and solemn. An idea came to mind, and he leaned down to speak with the tiny old woman again. "Is there a temple in this village?" he asked, flashing a brilliant smile. She giggled like a young girl and nodded fervently. "Oh, yes! It's a shrine to our village's goddess, Aika." She told him, pointing toward the west, "It's that way, handsome."

He nodded and said his thanks, turning to head in the direction of the shrine. It was easy to locate, because it was the tallest and most beautiful building within the entire little village. He stared in awe at it: the walls were painted a faded shade of red and there were beads handing off the awning, each with a parchment of paper hanging from them He looked closer and saw that each parchment had the name of a man and a woman on it. "Love spells." He chuckled, pushing aside the beads to walk into the spacious shrine. Sure enough, Maya was meditating in front of a statue of a beautiful woman with the ears of a cat. He looked admirably down at Maya, surprised that this habit was still there: in the days of their rambunctious youth, whenever she was upset, she would meditate with the monks. He realized that, even though she had finally broken that bond of their hearts, he still knew her, and that he couldn't hate her forever. She was, after all, his oldest friend. He sighed, and sat down next to her, sitting in the same way as she did. "It's good to have you back, Brother." She whispered, and he saw the small smile on her face. He smiled too, and sighed as he began to release his thoughts, "It's good to be back, Sister."

It was night time before the entire group had rejoined, and there was still a bit of tension between Maya and Koga. The village was lit up all over with pink and red lanterns, and the streets were crowded with people dressed in white and pale pink kimonos. Apparently, they had come to the village on the day of Aika: a celebration of love and generosity to please their goddess. "Oh, dear me, sisters." A tiny woman approached Maya, Sango and Kagome, clicking her tongue, "Those clothes just won't do! Please, allow me to dress you for the ceremony! All of you." She smiled kindly at the men as well, who were looking less than pleased with the idea.

They followed the woman into a large hut that was separated into two separate rooms by a hallway and paper rice doors. The doors were decorated with elaborate drawings of fields of pink and black. "The men will find their garments on the left and the women will follow me to the right." The woman told them, smiling as she pulled aside the door on the right, "I'll be back with your lovely girls after I prepare them." Sango and Maya exchanged amused looks, and looked back at Kagome who was looking unenthusiastic about getting dressed by the stranger. "My name is Arisu Tsukiko." The woman announced as she closed the door behind them, "I am a daughter of the noble family here." Maya bowed to show her respect, and said, "It is very kind of you to dress us." The tiny woman smiled, and tucked her long ebony hair behind her ears. "It's the day of Aika! There is no need to be so formal."

Arisu walked over to a wardrobe and pulled out three beautiful kimonos made out of soft fibers. They were each a pale pink color, but each one had different designs of black. The three girls stared in wonder at the beautiful garments. "We couldn't possibly!" Sango said, staring at Arisu in wonder. She clicked her tongue and laughed, "Please, take these as my gift to you." The three of them bowed in respect, still staring in awe at the clothes she placed in their arms. "Thank you for accepting my gift." She said to them, opening the door to slip out, "Please enjoy your evening. May Aika bless you." And then she vanished out into the hall; they watched her shadow walk out of the building, and then turned to give each other excited and shocked looks. "These are noble clothes!" Maya exclaimed. Sango and Kagome nodded with the same amount of zeal as her.

They undressed and folded their old clothes neatly, placing them inside Kagome's bag. They pulled each of their unique kimonos on and looked at each other with excited wonder. Kagome's kimono had intricately woven flowers up and down her torso and sleeves; Sango's was similar except hers was woven like vines down the collar and the bottoms of the sleeves. Maya's was different from both of theirs, instead of flowers there were what looked like branches skimming across her chest and extended down her sleeves with delicate looking leaves and flower buds. Sango and Kagome agreed that hers was the prettiest, against her protests of saying so. "What's that?" Maya asked, pointing at a bundle of cloth sitting beside Kagome's bag.

She leaned over and picked it up, unwrapping the linen to find three hair pins, each with the same intricate designs of the kimonos. She smiled and turned to Kagome. "May I?" she asked, smiling. She nodded and Maya walked to stand behind her, running her fingers through her raven color hair. She twisted her hair and folded it into a neat bun, and used the flower pin to hold it in place. "Beautiful." She said, turning to Sango, who looked slightly uncomfortable, "Are you alright?" She smiled nervously and chuckled, "I'm not used to this kind of treatment." Maya laughed, and put her hand on her shoulder. "Neither am I." She said, smiling as she turned her around to fix her hair the same way as Kagome.

Kagome helped Maya pin her hair, but instead of pulling it up, she let it hang to down, only pulling back her long bangs. "There, now you can't hide your pretty face." She said, smiling at the shy look Maya gave her. They walked out into the hall to find their men standing together in the hall; they were all dressed in similar white kimonos. Inuyasha was leaning against the wall with his arms crossed over his chest, frowning: his long hair had been braided and was hanging like a limp tail over his chest. Koga was standing next to the door, looking out into the crowd with obvious discomfort written onto his face. Miroku was standing just outside the women's door, and he was then first to speak, "Absolutely breath taking." The other two turned to look at the trio of women and both of them stood up straight, staring in complete awe.

"You look like nobility." Inuyasha gasped, moving so that he was standing next to Miroku. Kagome's face flushed red and she smiled at him shyly. "So, do I look good?" she asked, confused at the way she sounded. He nodded, unable to lie to her. "You're beautiful." He told her, smiling. His comment shocked her and Sango; Maya smiled and walked past the group, over to the attentive Koga. "The night sky doesn't hold a candle to you." He told her, smiling at her compassionately, "I'm sorry for how I've been behaving." She smiled back at him dreamily, reaching up to touch his cheek with her palm. "You were already forgiven." She whispered to him.

Sango looked up at Miroku and smiled shyly. He looked her over and smiled fervently. "My god, an angel has blushed at me." He proclaimed, grinning at her as he held out his hand, "Will you join me tonight?" She half-smiled, nodding as she attempted to hide the enthusiasm that was blustering inside her, and took his hand as he led her out into the crowded streets. She looked back at Maya with a huge grin on her face, mouthing, "Thank you!"

Maya smiled, and turned to face the lonesome Kagome and Inuyasha. "Well, Inuyasha?" she smiled, waving her hand towards Kagome, "Haven't you a question for the lady before you." He looked at her in confusion, turning a nice shade of pink. Koga laughed and scoffed, "I don't think he's got the guts." Maya raised an eyebrow at him, and turned back to Inuyasha, "What's the matter? Cat got your tongue?" He rolled his eyes at the obvious pun and she turned, laughing, to walk out with Koga, "The night won't be young forever!"

He stared after her as she turned into the crowded street and vanished amongst the wall of white and pink. His cheeks were slowly becoming shade perfect of Kagome's kimono. He turned to look at her, feeling his heart thump thunderously inside his chest, and bit his tongue. She was blushing too, and her dark brown eyes were diverted from his, staring at the floor shyly. "So…" he began, having to clear his throat to speak properly, "Do you want to join me for tonight?" She smiled up at him, excitement radiated from it, and nodded slowly. He held out his hand shakily, and gulped when she put her hand in it: so small in comparison to his, and so very much warmer.

Koga and Maya had wondered with the crowd as they filed down the street in pairs. They had been led into an Orchard that was dotted thickly with the tallest and most beautiful cherry trees that Maya had ever laid eyes on. She stared in open-mouthed awe at the massive blossoms hanging from the winding branches. "How can that be possible?" she whispered, stroking the soft petals of a flower. A man looked at her, smiling kindly; at his side was a small, pretty woman with a swollen belly. "The trees in this orchard are enchanted." He said, plucking one of the beautiful pink flowers and holding out to the woman next to him, "It's said that Lady Aika planted them here before her passing. They're beautiful, aren't they?" Maya nodded. Koga scoffed quietly, muttering, "Maybe if you're the flowery kind of guy…" She shoved her elbow into his side, and smiled weakly when the stranger chuckled, walking away with his wife.

She turned sharply to snap at Koga, but was muffled when she turned to face the big pink and white petals of a blossom. "I'm sorry." He said, smiling at her and tucking the flower into her hair beside the gold and silver pin, "But I'm not exactly a flower guy." She rolled her eyes sarcastically, and then smiled up at him. She tugged playfully at the braid hanging over his shoulder, and sighed, "Well, I guess we can't all be." She turned away to let her eyes explore the massive orchard: it was even larger than the village itself, and was surrounded fully by a dark wood wall. In the center was a pond that circled around a lone tree and a bench made from stone; a tiny bridge crawled over the pond, allowing entrance to the tiny oasis and on that bridge was an old man. He was slowly climbing over the pond, making his way over to the bench, where he sat, looking tiny and frail. He was sitting up straight and proud, with a small lipped smile painted on his ancient and wise face. His skin, though wrinkled with age, was a beautiful shade of rosewood, and his eyes glinted with youth through his sagging eyelids; his hair was a simple shade of gray, and was pulled neatly behind him in a braid similar to all the other men. He opened his mouth to speak, and his voice stole Maya's breath away, "Good evening, my dearest Brothers and Sisters." His voice was that of a young man, proud and strong like a military commander, only it was gentle and velvety smooth. Maya almost wished that he would sing.

Every head in the orchard turned to face the tiny man, and every head dropped in respect. "Good evening, dearest Elder." The group of people chimed over Maya and Koga, who both looked confused. The old man waved his hand about, and people began to sit. Maya lowered herself onto her knees, pulling Koga down with her. "It is a beautiful night, isn't it?" the old man said gently, looking up at the starry skies with wondrous eyes; there were murmurs of fond agreement, "It reminds me of the very night Aika blessed our simple village, dressed in the armor of nobles and carrying a tiny infant in her arms." He looked down at them, smiling again as his eyes graced upon the faces before him; he seemed to linger on Maya for a moment, but she decided that she was wrong as he turned away. "This was in the time of her awakening, and she had been blessed with child while she was in war. She came into the village, begging for shelter of her newborn. Everyone fled, because it was obvious that the armor clad being was indeed a demon. She cried tears of remorse and pleaded in a strong voice, until the village leader came from his home, and saw the vast humanity within the demon. 'Demon with eyes of human,' he said to her, 'Please, halt your tears, for I will allow your presence in this humble village.' And there was an uproar amongst the villagers, until she let her eyes upon them: they were the most beautiful shade of green, like fresh jade, and there wasn't an ounce of hate or despair within them, and suddenly, they all felt sure." Maya let her mind dance around the images of the beautiful warrior, clutching a newborn clasped in strong arms, swathed in the rags of her enemies.

"And the leader took the child into his arms, and she left them. Weeks went by before she returned, and the villagers had begun to suspect that the strange demon had died in her unknown war. When she did, she walked into the streets, dressed in a beautiful kimono of pink and white, and smiled at them all, announcing that she would be their guardian for their generosity. It was then when the leader came out, holding her beautiful child in his arms, and handed it to her. 'I thank you humbly.' She said, kneeling down, holding the tiny infant to her chest. The child was named Mayumi by the leader's wife, and was sent away to live in a monastery, where she would be safe from the plagues of that time." The old man continued, closing his eyes as he let the story flow from his lips, "All I can remember of the child, is her hair of cherry wood, and her eyes: they were the very shade of her mother's, yet they seemed to glow even more intensely. That and her ears were those of the cat, and the color of freshly fallen snow." Maya's heart skipped a beat, and she tore her eyes away from the old man. "Aika fought in the great battle against the Raccoon demons, and she fought to protect us when the demon known as Naraku tried to claim our fine village. She planted the very trees around us on her death bed, and she is buried beneath the soil of the great Oak in the hills of the Wolf. She was named our goddess, because when she died the very sky erupted into streaks of powdery light, as the sky cried her passing." He lowered his voice as he finished the tale, "And on this day, her soul celebrates the return of her only child and the love we feel for one another."

The orchard erupted into a sea of gasps and ever head started to turn, searching for the goddess' child. The old man stood, and ambled over the bridge, and then came to a halt just feet away from Maya. He smiled a kinder smile, one like that of a father who had just seen his child for the first time. "Welcome home, Mayumi Yuki." He said, kneeling. Maya stood up at once and shook her head. "I'm not Mayumi, my name is Maya." She replied, feeling panic rising in her throat as all the eyes of the orchard fell on her, gasping. "She's a living double of Aika's statue!" she heard someone whisper, and then, all at once, every person in the orchard went onto their knees and buckled over, bowing. The old man was on his feet first, and he held out his hands, palms up. "Maybe that's what the monks called you, but here, you are Mayumi." He told her, "You wouldn't remember much of your time here, because you were very young when Aika had you sent away; but I do have a solution to this." He reached behind him, pulling out a bag that he had wrapped around his waist.

She felt Koga's grip tighten around her arm as he stood next to her. He had been staying quiet throughout the story, and he looked almost convinced. "I am Nao; Son of Shigeru, the late leader of our village." He addressed himself to her, and he held out the bag, "I offer the gift of your mother's jewel." Maya took the bag apprehensively, and peered inside, seeing a glint of blue in the lantern's light. She reached within the little brown sack, and pulled out a rounded jewel: it was the color of the sea, and of the sky, and of Koga's eyes. "I-I can't accept this gift." She stuttered, holding back out to

Nao. He smiled at her, and took her hands in his. "Let your mind flow into the jewel, and your memory will take you back to her." He whispered, pulling her hands up to her face so that she was gazing at the beautiful jewel. She decided to humor the old man, and she gazed into the odd deepness that it held, allowing her memory to soar.

FLASH BACK

"You will see to it that she's safe?" a sweet, gentle voice was asking. Maya could see the beautiful face of her mother, and was jealous, even in her infancy, of how blessed she was. Her mother had long, flowing hair that was the color of the sun, and her eyes like jade. It was safe with her, and the tiny infant form of Maya held close to her. "Y-yes, the monks have agreed to house the child, even though she is a demon; and yes, I will personally guard her with my life. _'Liar'_ Maya let her eyes fall on this stranger, and she was off taken by his strangeness: he had the face of a dog, but the markings of a raccoon. "Very well, Hachiemon." Her mother spoke quieter, sounding sad as she lifted Maya up and into the stranger's arms, "Watch my Mayumi with all your heart." The raccoon dog nodded feverishly, and stood at alert. "Yes, Lady Aika." He said, waving as he turned. Maya could hear herself crying, wanting the security of her mother's arms; but she never came, even after all the years she spent at the monastery, even after those memories had faded away, like old ones do.

END OF FLASHBACK

When Maya came back to the earthly ground, she had been crying, and Koga had been shaking her, trying to free her from whatever pain she was being trapped by. "It's true…" she gasped, looking up at the old man in shock, "Aika was my mother…" The orchard erupted into sounds of celebration and joy, and she was swarmed by the strangers. She tried to smile at them all as they came to touch her and offer their thanks, but her smile was a forced one. "I am Mayumi Yuki."

Miroku had steered Sango away from the crowd, and they were now resting in the quiet, lantern lit street, on the steps of the temple. He had found a peach tree and had plucked the out-of-season fruit and they had eaten them; they were the sweetest he had ever laid his lips on. "So," he said, looking at Sango, amused that he had caught her in the middle of a big bite, "What made you say 'yes?'" She sputtered, and coughed as she tried to clear her throat. He leaned over her, patting her back and rubbing it softly. "What do you mean? I said 'yes' because you were the one to ask me." She retorted.

"So, your saying that if Inuyasha had asked you, that you would of said the same?" he asked, looking smugly puzzled.

"Perhaps…not."

"Well?"

"Well, what?"

"Why did you agree to come with me tonight?"

She could already hear Maya's scolding in her ears, _'Why didn't you tell him?! He's never going to know that you love him if you don't tell him!'_ She bit her lip and looked away, staring off at the quiet road and homes. "I guess, because I wanted too." She replied, glancing back at him; there was a victoriously cocky smile on his face, "I enjoy your company a little more than I should." He laughed for a moment, looking as if her were going to burst with excitement. She smiled at him, trying to hide her quiet fear. "Well, that's a relief." He said finally, lying back onto the hard floor. She stared t him, bewildered. ""What is?!" she asked, shrieking a bit and blushing. He turned his head to look at her for a moment, and sat up again, leaning forward so that his face was just in front of hers. "The notion that you love me." He replied, running his fingers through her hair while balancing on his other arm, "Because, I love you too."

For what seemed like hours, they stared at each other: Miroku smiling and Sango looking dumbfounded and excited all at once. All she could hear was the pounding of her heart inside her chest, and all she could feel was the fluttering of her stomach as it choked her and stole away the words she so desperately wanted to say. He had confessed himself to her, and she had done the same, yet something felt off…there was a solemn-ness in his smile that made her wonder how much pain remained. She frowned and looked away, breaking the spell. "Are you so sure of that?" she asked, hugging herself, "Are you completely sure that you love me, and that it won't hurt you to love me?" He didn't speak, and the happiness left his face, melting away all at once. "Maya." He whispered, pursing his lips, "Yes, I can see why you would be worried." She turned to look at him, confused again; she was beginning to hate the feeling of not knowing.

He reached up, yawning and stretching out his tired muscles. "You see, I noticed something today when I found her." He started, looking dreamily up at the love beads above them, "When I looked at her, I didn't see the cruel person that broke my heart, instead I saw the young woman that I had grown up with. I saw my friend, instead of my lover." Sango watched him as he reached up, letting his fingertips skim over a name parchment. "I realized that, even though she would never be what I had hoped we would be, she would always be my friend, my sister if you will." He finished, looking back at her, "And she told me that she wanted me to find someone who would be what I wanted: a mother and a wife." Sango felt all of the blood rush to her face, and she ducked away from his gaze. His hand was on her cheek suddenly, and she turned to see his kneeling beside her. "Sango, it's been a long time since I ever saw someone the way I see you, and now that I'm sure of your feelings," he spoke softly, smiling as he grabbed hold of her hand, "Will you be my wife and bear my child?"

Hahaha! Cliff hanger! Next scene!

There was music playing from somewhere, and Inuyasha had decided to dance with her, even though she didn't know it yet. He grabbed hold of her hand and pulled her to him, smiling as he asked gently, "Wanna dance?" She smiled at him for a moment, and nodded. They swayed around the empty garden slowly, his arms around her waist and hers around his neck. They didn't look at each other, but instead looked in opposite directions shyly. "Uh…it's a beautiful night." Inuyasha said, clearing his throat as he glanced at her; he was amazed at how beautiful she looked. She nodded not looking his direction, but blushing slightly as she couldn't find words to say. It was uncomfortable for both of them, yet it felt as though it should be like this, only with less tension.

He looked at her fondly, and sighed, stopping. "You're not enjoying this are you?" he asked, looking hurt and relieved at the same time. She stepped back, rubbing her arm sheepishly. "I'm actually having a lot of fun…" she replied, pursing her lips in an awkward smile, "It's just weird…how good this feels." She blushed, turning every shade of red all at once, looking panicked by what she just said. Inuyasha looked away, smiling as he realized what was wrong: they had never really showed affection to one another. He knew that it was because of him, and his inability to forget why he found her so appealing in the first place: Kikyo. He flinched at the thought of her and the pain she always brought to him. He had begun to recognize Kagome as someone else after Kikyo was brought back to life, animated in clay, and slowly he had begun to favor her over Kikyo, even though news of her presence would always send him flying in her direction; it was his old loyalties that had kept him and Kagome apart. But Kikyo had truly betrayed him, joining forces with Naraku and assisting him by giving him the jewel shards she found and stole. She was no longer his Kikyo, but Kagome had always been his in a way.

He looked at her now, and smiled at her. He wanted her so badly, and his pride had not allowed him to confess it…yet. "It does feel right." He said, flinching at the words as they left his mouth unintentionally, "Being with you, I mean." It was his turn to change colors. She looked at him; there was a glint of hope in her dark eyes. A pained look filtered onto his face and he looked away from her gaze. "So, what are you saying exactly?" she asked. He shrugged, turning to give her a dumb look. "Well?"

"I guess I'm saying nothing." He said, turning to stare off into the dead plants around them, crossing his arms over his chest. She screamed in a rage and stomped her feet. "Ooh! You really are an arrogant ass, aren't you?" she spat, spinning around to leave. Inuyasha moved quickly and grabbed hold of her arm, pulling her back. "Wait, that's not what I meant." He said, rolling his eyes as he mentally bashed himself. She pulled her arm away from his hand and crossed it with the other. "Oh, then what _did_ you mean then?" she asked bitterly. He ran his hands through his hair, growling when they got tangled up in the braid. "Damn, woman…" he hissed, freeing his hands and seeing the morbidly pissed off look on her face, "Not you, the wretch who got me all girled up!" She stared at him, her lips pressed in a hard line. He smacked himself in the forehead, groaning at how bad things had turned. "Look, all I'm saying' is nothing if you don't care about me." He said exasperatedly, "Because I need to know if you care for me as much as I do you."

He turned to look at her, and all reminisce of anger had faded from her face, replaced by a blank look. She was in shock. He lowered his eyes, waiting for the rejection. She looked at him softly, feeling the smile light up her face as the shock melted into euphoria. "I do." She murmured, stepping forward to touch his shoulder. She tripped over and he caught her; they stared at each other for a moment, and then smiled as he leaned in to press his lips against hers.

END OF CHAPTER!

Well, I figured since I haven't been writing down my thoughts lately, that I would give an update on everything. Basically, there's going to be about 10 chapters at least, maybe more if I feel like it. Yes, I stole that last kiss scene from the show, because it was the cheesiest way I could manage it without having to get all think-ified about it. I realize that it's gone a long way since chapter one and that a lot of things have changed: for instance the introduction of Koga into the heart of Maya, ahem Mayumi , may confuse those of you who don't believe in soul mates. That and the whole wolf legend stuff from Twilight sort of influenced me I heart Jacob Sorry if the reading got a little less poetic after a while, but doing all the descriptive B.S is tiring and I only have so much time out of the day to write. By the way, a lovely twist is coming up to the story soon that I know you are going to love! Anyway, I hope you love the story as much as I love writing it. So, message me, rate, and review! Bye!


	7. Chapter 7: Decision Time

Chapter Seven: Decision Time

Chapter Seven: Dawn

Sunlight poured into the open room, giving everything a milky warm appearance. It skimmed over the polished wood floor, reflecting onto the sleeping face of Koga's angel. He smiled and touched her cheek softly, careful not to wake her. Maya had fallen asleep almost the moment her head touched her bundle, and she now had dried tearstains down her cheeks. He couldn't quite grasp what had upset her so much, but he knew it had something to do with her sudden nobility; she had been tossing and turning in her sleep, and it had kept him from sleep for most of the night. She was peaceful now, and he watched her chest rise and fall with her every breath.

She stirred and turned onto her side, opening her eyes softly and smiling. "You didn't have to stay with me." She whispered, running her fingers through his hair. He shrugged and pushed himself up onto his feet, stretching. "You didn't have to be alone all night." He added, smiling at her. She rolled her eyes and yawned, stretching through out the length of her body; she reached outwards with the palms of her hands and her toes. He watched her curiously as she kicked off her covers: she was dressed in only her kimono, and her long legs were bare and glowing in the morning light. He let his eyes follow the length of her body: from the tips of her toes, across the pale horizon of her claves, to her thighs draped by the twisted tail of her kimono, following the collar up her exposed cleavage and chest, to her throat and settling on her eyes. He smirked, giving himself mental praise for his choice in woman. She sat up, crossing her legs under the kimono. "So, did I miss anything interesting last night?" she asked, rubbing the back of her neck as she yawned again.

He shook his head, and leaned against the wooden wall of their quarters. "Other than Nao kicking out the noble family out of their palace for you, nothing else has happened since; then again, I haven't left this room since you laid down." He told her, grinning proudly. She nodded; she cringed at the idea of the entire noble family sleeping in alien beds, but she knew they wouldn't mind much since every home in the village was built in a similar to the rooms of the palace. The palace itself was the second largest building, the temple being the largest, and it was built so that the doors were turned to the inside of the fortress, which was built around what appeared to be a garden and was accessible by a gate that reached all the way up to the roof and hovered an inch or two over the ground. Maya saw it more as a prison than a home, feeling caged in by that gate and the courtyard. "Why would he do something like that? Throwing out the Noble Family." She wondered aloud.

"Well, for one, he is a noble, and, apparently, you are too." Koga responded, watching to see what her reaction would be. Her face went pale for a moment, and her entire body started to tremble; she pulled her knees to her chest, and hugged them, staring wide eyed like a frightened child into oblivion. Her silence made him worry, and he moved to sit on his knees in front of her. "Maya? Hey, come on! Don't go crazy on me." He said, placing his hands on either side of her face, "You don't have to be a noble, if you don't want to. You just have to relinquish the title. Come on, don't do this." She looked at him, and smiled weakly as she let go of her knees and wrapped her hands around his wrists; it was like she was shackling him to her, he thought humorously. "It's not just the title, or the village, or even the knowledge of who my mother was…" she spoke softly with little animation on her face, "It's just all of this. Everything keeps coming at me too fast for me to cope with each of them." Her eyes seemed to get darker as she spoke, and a frown soon replaced the tiny smile, "It's a lot to handle…nobility and love."

She looked up at him sheepishly; her eyes seemed to get even bigger with every moment he didn't reply. He grinned at her, pressing his forehead to hers. "Then, you don't have to handle it by yourself." He told her; she smiled at him fondly, "I'll be there with you every step of the way, so you don't have to carry the entire burden on your own." She craned her neck, and brushed her lips against his as she wrapped her arms around him. "Thank you." She whispered, burying her face into his neck, "Thank you so much." He smiled and put his arms around her too, kissing her hair. "I love you too much to let you suffer." He murmured, smiling when she hugged him tighter.

She pulled herself back, so that she could see him, without having to release her grip around his neck. She leaned forward, pressing her lips to his passionately. Automatically, something clicked and his arms pulled her even closer to his chest; the taste if her lips sent electricity all through out his body, and he knew that he was going to be addicted to her. Everything about her was like a drug anyway: her eyes, body, voice, smell, and now her taste made it even sweeter. His lips moved hungrily over hers, searching for more. Her hands moved the back of his neck, tangling her fingers in his hair as she pulled him even closer. His hands pulled at the base of her back, making her bend slightly; he pushed her onto the floor, balancing himself on his hands, never allowing his lips to leave hers. His hips were pressing hard against hers, holding her beneath him as she nipped his bottom lip. His hand hovered behind her knee, stroking her leg with his fingertips; he grabbed it and hitched it behind his. They stared at each other for a moment, measuring each other; and she nodded, smiling at him.

Sango yawned as she walked out of her room, smiling at the frosted, dead garden before her: she imagined what it looked like during the spring. In the center of the garden was, of course, a single cherry tree that was still in full bloom. It was odd to see such a thing in the dead of winter, but she had heard of the Orchard from Maya before she set off into her own room, looking pale and worried. She had been turning thoughts over in her head all night about the troubled-looking demon for most of the night; managing to get in a few hours of sleep in between dark periods of thoughts between her and Miroku's big question. She had agreed on the spot, but was worried about the outcome of such a ceremony. The idea of her and Miroku married made her feel woozy with worry and excitement all at once; that and the notion of child birth.

She stepped off the wooden veranda and onto the solid, blackened earth of the courtyard. It was beautiful, despite the obvious death of the assorted plants. She wondered what made the plants come back to life in the spring; it was as if they were hibernating through out the winter in their shriveled states, and then suddenly would spring back to life, fat with green and blossoms, as soon as the snow melted and the air warmed. She let the thought dissolve back into her mind and sat on a lonely bench beside the tree. She looked up at the blossoms, smiling at their queer size and beautiful patterns of pale pink and white. It was the village's festive colors, and she understood why: they mixed beautifully when they were together. The entire village represented love.

She lay back on the cold stone of the bench, staring up at the pale blue sky. _'It's all so beautiful here, like a fairy tale gone real…'_ She thought, watching the dew drip off the leaves of some unidentifiable plant. _'It's like nothing bad can exist here…no evil, no greed…certainly no envy since everyone is equal around here, with the exception of the noble names…' _She sighed, pulling her hands back so she could rest her head on them. "Odd…" she muttered, closing her eyes.

She was woken by the sound of approaching foot falls, and she opened her eyes to see Miroku coming towards her; he was dressed back in his own clothes, and had managed to smear something white over his right cheek. She giggled at his odd appearance, and sat up. "Did you get mauled by a geisha?" she asked, mentally wincing at the thought. He chuckled, shaking his head as he wiped helplessly at the smear with his sleeve. "No, it's that damn makeup that woman put on me last night; I can't get it off." He replied, sounding barely irritated, "Could you help, please?" Laughing, she stood and pulled out a scrap of cloth from her kimono and dipping it in a bird bath beside the tree; he flinched when she touched the cloth to his face. "Cold." He muttered quietly, smiling awkwardly as she started to wipe away the white smudge.

"There." She declared, grinning at his clean face, "All clean." He smiled at her and kissed her on the cheek. He sat himself on the bench, patting the bare space next to him. She sat down beside him, staying quiet. "So, I was wondering if you've been thinking about what I asked you last night." He told her, giving her a quizzical look.

"Yes, as a matter of fact, it's been on my mind most of the night." She replied, trying to look uninterested, "What of it?"

"Well, I was thinking we could get married here…at the temple."

Her composure left her at that very moment, and a wave of cold reality shot through her: he was serious about it. "Uh, is that even possible?" she asked, running her hands though her hair, brushing it behind her ear becoming irritated when her bangs fell back into her eyes. "I don't know; we have to go and talk to the village's elder." He replied, looking thoughtful. She nodded, feeling her cheeks warm. He stood, holding out his hand to her. She stared at it for a moment; realizing that, in taking his hand, she would be agreeing to marry him and curse her first son to carry the same burden as Miroku. She took it slowly, letting her mind be made.

They walked out of the courtyard through the ivory gates of the fortress, and into the quiet, sleepy streets. People were just beginning to wake up and move about as they turned towards the temple. Sango stared up at the large, pale pink building in wonder. She was in awe at the thousands of prayer beads that hung from the terrace's roof; she read a few of them and saw that each one had the name of two people in each: lovers. The inside was even more beautiful: the room was large and spacious, set around an intricately carved statue of their goddess, Aika, which was the color of faded jade. The walls were covered in rice paper that were decorated with the same scenery as Lady Arisu's doors; the floors were covered by a large mat weaved of bamboo. She would be amazed if the Elder would allow their marriage within the temple now.

Sure enough, the old man sat before the feet of the statue, in child's pose. A little yoga talk never hurt anyone His long, silvery hair was braided down his back, and seemed to lighten his dark skin. His arms were long and seemed to stretch the entire length of his body. "Good day, my brother and sister." To Sango's surprise, his voice sounded at least fifty years younger than he looked; it was deep and soft, yet strong like a Captain's voice. He sat up, turning to look at the two, smiling as he nodded his head at them. Miroku dipped his head in respect, and Sango followed the gesture, bemused by her lack of emotional control. "Sir, if we might have a moment of your time," Miroku started, but the old man held up his hand.

"All of my time is dedicated to my Brethren. What might I assist you with, young man?" he asked, smiling in a way that made the corners of his eyes crinkle.

"Would you allow my woman and me to be wedded within the temple here?"

"Hmm, this is a great request you ask, Brother."

"Yes, I realize this, sir."

"I'm afraid that I am not allowed to give such permission."

"Then who is?"

"The blood of our goddess, Mayumi Yuki, is the only one who can give such permission."

"Where would I find her?"

The old man chuckled at this, smiling a crooked, amused smile. "Dear Brother, you are a companion of her." He replied, still laughing as they gave him another confused look, "I suppose you know her as 'Maya.'" Both of them gave him looks of disbelief and shock, turning to look at each other. "Do you not see the likeness in her and her mother?" the old man asked, holding his hand out towards the statue; he smiled dreamily at the sculptured woman, as if he were remembering something. Miroku looked up at it, noticing immediately that the woman was merely a more matured looking depiction of Maya. "They are quite the beautiful pair of women, aren't they?" the old man mused, "With even more beautiful souls."

Miroku and Sango stood at the same time, smiling grandly at their luck. "Thank you, sir." Sango said, bowing out of respect and appreciation. He waved his hand to them, not looking away from the stone depiction. "Please, call me Nao." He told them, "And you are so very welcome." They nodded and half ran out of the temple, back towards the palace.

Shippo stared boredly at the wall; he was lying on his back, craning his neck in a peculiar way that made it hurt after a moment. He sighed and brought his head forward, letting it rest on the floor. He had been told to stay with the other children while the others went to the celebration; and afterwards, Maya had came and got him. He had been very happy to see her, but there was very little excitement in her voice or smile as she carried him into the palace courtyard. "I'll see you tomorrow." She had told him, putting him on the ground and rushing off into an empty room, with Koga close behind. Now, he felt very small, sitting in a large room all to his self. _'She looked so upset…like something horrible had happened…'_ He thought, feeling a chill run up and down his spine.

He rocked back and pushed himself up on to his feet, running to the door, pausing to push it open, and sprinted towards Maya's room. "Maya?" he called; he heard scuffling inside, and the sound of something crashing to the floor. "Oww!" she hissed, "Yes, Shippo?" Her voice was unsteady and fast. "Can you come out?" he asked, putting his hand on the door to open it; it snapped closed just as he managed to pull it aside. "Uh, no, not right now." She said, sounding nervous, "I'll be out in a minute or two." He heard hushed laughter inside that he recognized as Koga's.

He huffed loudly and stomped away from the door, wondering what was going on in there, and shivering at the thought of what he _knew_ was probably going on. He spotted Kagome walking out of her room, stretching. "Kagome!" he exclaimed, running around the veranda to jump at her. She caught him in mid-jump and swung him around happily, laughing. "Good morning, Shippo!" she said to him cheerfully; there was something strange in her voice. He looked at her, very confused at why everyone was being weird. "Are you alright, Kagome? You're never this happy this early in the morning." He asked, giving her a puzzled look. She shrugged, and looked around the garden. "Just in a good mood I suppose." She replied, grinning at him, "What's wrong with you today? You're strangely suspicious."

"Everyone is acting weird." He whispered, squinting at Maya's door with a sort of scornful look.

"What do you mean?" Her smiled went crooked.

"Well, you're oddly happy, and Maya wouldn't let me in her room earlier. Plus, Miroku and Sango are no where to be found."

"I see…Well, speak of the devil."

They looked up to see Miroku and Sango walking into the courtyard from the gate. "Hey, you guys! What's up?" Kagome acknowledged them. Sango left Miroku's side to join her and Shippo. "We need to get Maya up so we can talk to her." She told them, and suddenly her face went red, "We're, um, going to…well, get married." Both Kagome's and Shippo's jaws dropped; Sango had to suppress nervous laughter at the sight of their shock. "W-when?!" Kagome managed to get out, sounding high-pitched and excited. Sango backed up a bit, holding her hands up. "Well…we don't know yet, because we need to talk to Maya about us having the ceremony done in the temple." She explained, eying Miroku as he approached Maya's door slowly.

"Why do you need to talk to Maya?" Kagome asked.

"Because she's apparently the daughter of their goddess or something, and we need her permission."

"Daughter of their goddess?"

Sango explained what she knew about Lady Aika to her and Shippo. Kagome and Shippo both stared at her in shock as she told the tale. "Yeah, since the temple is such a holy place, it would be the responsibility of the blood line to decide whether or not someone could be married with in it." Sango finished, scratching the back of her head as she tried to remember everything. "Argh!" they heard Miroku scream, and they turned to see him in a collapsed pile in front of Maya's door, which was lying half way open. "Holy shit!" they heard Maya yell, and they saw her come to the door, with a sheet draped over her body. Shippo flinched at the sight, and the other two girls couldn't help but burst into a tizzy of laughter.

The door behind them opened, and the sleepy eyed Inuyasha stumbled out. "What in the hell are you guys laughing about?" he asked, sounding less than pleased about being woken up. His eyes traveled past the giggling girls towards Maya kneeling over Miroku, looking red faced and worried. The corner of his lip twitched and he turned around to walk back into the room. "I don't want to know anymore." He said, sliding it closed.

Shippo rushed over to help Maya, and he settled himself at an eye distance as he prodded Miroku's face, which had a nice shade of crimson, a drizzle of blood from his nose, and a crooked smile. He was twitching helplessly, and he seemed to be staring past everyone, into a world that lacked what he had just seen. _'Puppy dogs and kitty cats…lalalala…'_ Shippo looked up at Maya and smirked uncertainly. "I guess he saw more than he needed too?" he said, trying to lighten the thick air. Maya nodded, looking as if she were about to cry from embarrassment. "Um, I think you should go and get dressed now." He added, "That sheet is kind of see-through." Maya's face turned to a mahogany color, and she stepped back, slamming the door; as she did, she screamed in exasperation.

"Yes, but I would like to talk to you about something else, please." Miroku had been trying to get Maya to calm down for two solid hours; she was still in a fit of embarrassment and hadn't stopped apologizing and yelling at him. She nodded, deciding to try and calm down. She bit her lip and tried to look at him calmly. _'At least her face isn't red anymore…'_ He thought. "Everyone, I have news." He addressed his other companions. They all turned from where they were sitting, looking dull and bored. Everyone had been sitting out in the courtyard after most of the excitement had settled into Maya's panicked screeching. "Sango and I are going to be married." He said; the air suddenly got heavy with silent shock, he turned back to Maya, "We need your permission to get married in your mother's temple."

Maya was staring at him wide eyed with her jaw dropped at an angle that seemed uncomfortable. "O-of course!" she said, understanding almost immediately, "When was this decided?" She turned to Sango, giving her a look that said, _'Why the hell didn't you come and tell me this immediately?'_ She smiled sheepishly and turned away from the demon's hot stare. "Last night." Miroku told her, smiling as he put his arm around Sango's waist. Maya smiled, and clasped her hands together as she smiled, cooing, "Aww…when?" She was prying. He shrugged, and replied, "Whenever Nao-san lets us."

"Well, let's go and get him!" Maya ordered, standing up quickly, planting her hands on her hips, "There's a wedding to plan!" smiles goofily She stomped towards the gate, grabbing hold of Sango and Kagome's arms as she did, and dragged them out into the street with her; Kirara pranced after them, mewing gleefully. The men just exchanged bored and confused looks. "Women." Inuyasha declared, shrugging; the other three nodded in agreement.

"Nao-sama!" Maya called to the old man as he was descending the steps of the temple; he smiled in amusement when he saw her and her hostages, "I agree to their idea! When can you do it?" He laughed, and bowed to the three of them. "Anytime they wish, Lady Mayumi." He replied, smiling in respect, "It would be an honor to wed the companions of our gracious goddess's descendant." Maya rolled her eyes, hiding the obvious disgust she felt at his unnecessary reverence of her. She released Kagome and Maya, and bowed to him. "Thank you, nisa-sama." She thanked him, turning towards the little shop they had visited with Arisu. The woman was sitting outside the modest shack, as if she were awaiting the excitable Maya. "Good morning, Lady Mayumi." She chimed, smiling with more intensity than Maya remembered. She flinched at the woman's enthusiasm towards her. "Morning, Arisu-san." She replied as she dipped her head in a bow; Kagome and Sango did the same, "I was wondering if you would oblige me a wedding dress for my companion." For those of you who don't know, 'nisa' means brother in Japanese.

A light seemed to flicker on in the woman's eyes, and she nodded, smiling earnestly. "Of course, Lady Mayumi." She said, waving her hand towards the door of her shop, "Please, come in and we'll start working." They followed her into the familiar building, and turned to the left as the last time. The room was much brighter during the day: light poured in through an opening in the wall, and reflected of polished silver that was set around the room. Maya turned to look at Sango, who was smiling awkwardly, obviously out of her element again. "It'll be fine." She promised, and Kagome nodded in agreement. Sango smiled weakly, and asked in a low voice, "Why can't I just get married in my own clothes?"

"Because, my dear, this is the village of Aika." It was Arisu who answered, and she grabbed hold of Sango, pulling her into the center of the room, "And in this village, everything is overdone, because we want everyone to feel like nobility." She smiled, touching Sango's cheek, and added with a wink, "Besides, beautiful girls deserve a beautiful wedding." They watched the woman move about the long room as she gathered material to make the colorful garment. Maya and Kagome helped her measure Sango, after removing all of her armor, and begin the elegant kimono. It came down past the ankles, and fit much like Sango's did only it flowed out when she walked, and rippled when the air startled it. The colors flowed up garment, making it appear like the sunrise. "A marriage is like a sunrise, beautiful in the beginning, steady during the middle and dramatic when it comes to an end." Arisu said, smiling as she tied a white sash around her waist, "At least, my marriage was."

It was mid-day when they had completed the ensemble, and Sango had a pleased look on her face when she twirled around in front of one of the mirrors. "It's perfect." She murmured pleasantly. Maya grinned at Kagome, who looked relieved at the girl's reaction. "It's not even overdone; I could wear this anywhere." Sango chirped, smiling at the idea of her new kimono; she turned to Arisu, "Thank you, Lady Arisu." She bowed low, and the woman clicked her tongue at her. "Please, just call me 'Arisu.'"

The sunset was casting a warm haze over every person standing outside Aika's temple; every one had gathered for the ceremony. A beautiful white cloth had been laid out on the ground and into the temple, stopping at the base of the statue, where Nao awaited the bride and groom. A chain of cherry blossoms hung over the veranda's roof, and occasionally a petal would gracefully descend, dancing through the gentle breeze. Inuyasha and Kagome stood next to each other in the crowd, to the left of the temple steps; Koga stood alone to the right. At the sound of a dong, Miroku appeared and began his walk up the white pathway. A proud smile was plastered on his face, and he looked like he would burst with swollen joy at any moment. Once he had taken his walk down the walkway, Maya started down, dressed in the kimono given to her by Arisu, and clutching a strand of prayer beads, parchment, and a small bundle of blossoms. She took her place beside Nao, smiling brightly at Koga as he waved to her.

It seemed that every earthly thing on the earth got silent when the next dong sounded; everyone's head turned to the start of the ivory colored path, and everyone murmured in reverence of what they saw. Sango stood there, looking glorious and beautiful. Her face had been powdered white, against her wishes and Maya's, and her hair had been twisted neatly and elegantly into a tight bun. Her hands were folded neatly in front of her, and the wide sleeves of her kimono hid them with its bright, striking colors. She walked down the path slowly and gracefully. There was a smile on her face, but it was so full of emotion that none could even describe what it was. She looked as if she could burst into tears at a whim, but she retained her composure, smiling out the built-up emotion.

She stood beside Miroku, holding her head proudly, and smiling at him, and then at Maya. The neko had already teared up, and was attempting to wipe away the genial tears with out drawing any attention to her. "Brothers, Sisters, we are gathered here, on the gracious steps of Aika's temple, to wed these two benevolent souls in holy matrimony." Nao announced, calling the attention to himself and the two in front of him, "Lady Mayumi, would you please bestow upon me, the beads?" Maya nodded, handing him the red colored strand. "These beads celebrate the never ending connection we have with one another: when the beads are tied together, they touch each other freely, with out force, but when they are tied to loosely, there is no communication; and when they are tied to tightly, they are restrained from movement, and break." Nao explained, "Please, join your hands." Miroku grabbed Sango's hand, holding it up to Nao as he bent down to wrap the beads around their entwined fingers.

"Cherry blossoms mark the beginning of spring, when under normal conditions, but here, they mark the eternal warmth of love." Nao continued, taking the bundle of blossoms from Maya, and tucking them into her hair, "They also represent the beauty of a woman, and a woman's care for her man and her children." She smiled at the old man, and he turned back to Maya, taking the parchment from her and holding it out in front of him. "To finalize this wondrous occasion, the two lovers before us will write their names upon the blessed paper, and will then hang the beads that now hold their love energy." He declared, handing an ink-covered brush to Miroku. They both wrote their names on the paper, and it flashed with golden light, turning the ink silver. "Their love has been approved by the great Lady Aika!" Nao exclaimed, holding his arms up to praise her along with all of the other villagers.

Sango and Miroku stared in shock at the silver characters, and then looked at each other, smiling. Maya smiled and took hold of the parchment, slipping the paper over a golden hook hanging from the beads. "By the power bestowed in me by our gracious goddess, I now have the wonderful pleasure of pronouncing you husband and wife." Nao spoke, and his voice rang out of the temple, and seemed to echo for miles. He took the beads from around their entwined hands, and walked slowly out onto the veranda, reaching up and tying the beads the roof. They swayed in the wind; and music came from the garden as it danced around the chimes. "Bonzai!" Maya shouted, raising both of her hands up above her head. "Bonzai!" the villagers echoed her. "Bonzai!" Kagome and Shippo yelled.

The two newly weds ran down the ivory pathway. A shower of blossom petals and rice rained down upon them as they reached the end of the walk way, and turned, kissing each other. "Bonzai!" Maya shouted again, grinning happily as she jumped off the steps and into Koga's awaiting arms. "Bonzai." He whispered, kissing her forehead as he placed his hand on her stomach. She smiled up at him, grabbing his hand and pulling him along as they followed the others back to the palace.

"Are you sure you don't want to go with them? You can catch them if you hurry." Koga asked, tucking his arms around her waist as he stepped behind her. She nodded, staring at the ground beneath the great oak tree. "I'm with child, Koga." She replied, not looking away from the bare earth, "It wouldn't be safe for me, especially when the pregnancy really takes its toll." He rolled his eyes, rubbing her slightly swollen belly as he kissed her neck. "That's not why you aren't going." He sighed, resting his cheek on her shoulder, "You're not going because you're worried about me." She shrugged, and turned to face him, letting her hands rest on her stomach. "You're worth the stay." She said, "Besides, I'm sure Inuyasha will be glad that I'm gone." He shook his head, laughing, "He's a dog, love. They get attached to their superiors."

She laughed with him, and walked around him. He sighed, watching her kimono flow in the bitter-cold wind. "I'm not going, Koga." She replied firmly. He ran after her, stopping so that he was in front of her. "You're going, because you want to go." He said, giving her a stern look, "I'm not going to be the reason you're moping around for the next nine months." She laughed caustically, and teased, "You _are_ going to be the reason I'll be moping for the next nine months!" He rolled his eyes, and poked her in the shoulder. "Get your ass moving." He said, moving so that his face was just in front of hers, "Before I have to move it for you." She craned her neck, pressing her lips to his, and then turned towards the road. "Maybe I want you to move it for me." She added, vanishing as she lept into the trees. He stared after her solemnly, smiling weakly as he turned to go back toward the Wolf village. He glanced down at the tiny, wooden grave marker, and smirked. "You sure have a great daughter, Lady Aika." He whispered, walking into the trees in the opposite direction of his mate…his angel.


	8. Chapter 8: When Evil Calls

Chapter Eight: When Evil Calls

Chapter Eight: When Evil Calls

Sango and Kagome were staring: Maya could feel their amazed eyes burning holes into her flesh, and it made her anxious. She had just walked out in front of them, smiling brightly and excitedly when she was greeted heartily by Shipp, who almost managed to knock her over in his plight to greet her. "Are you coming with us?" he asked, looking up at her with hopeful eyes. "Yes," she said, looking up at Inuyasha, "If it's alright with Inuyasha and Kagome." Everyone turned to look at Inuyasha, who had a blank, pissed look on his face. He shrugged and waved his hand as if to say 'Whatever!' and then pushed past the neko. Shippo erupted into a tumult of celebration, and Maya put him down just as Miroku approached her. "You're expecting aren't you?" he asked, touching her stomach. She beamed up at him and nodded, saying, "Yeah, you're gonna be an uncle." He smiled back at her.

Sango and Kagome almost swarmed around her, asking all kinds of questions that she wasn't quite sure how to answer. "How far along are you?" Kagome asked; she had seated herself on her knees, and had her ear against her stomach. "Um, a few weeks actually." She replied, smiling nervously as they nodded and gave each other thrilled looks. Inuyasha stopped in his tracks as soon as it sunk in. "Whoa, we can't have a pregnant demon with us! You'll attract all sorts of dangers, and what about when you…well, birth." He said, approaching her with both worried and angry looks. She shrugged, and smiled at him. "I'm capable of taking care of myself, and it'll be a while before I'm actually going to be any real trouble." She told him, rolling her eyes at him, "Don't worry, I'm planning on coming back home before I even get close to that stage."

"Isn't Koga coming?! I mean, you are carrying his child." Sango asked, looking suspicious.

"No; he has to look after the pack. Winter isn't exactly the kindest season in the Valley."

"What about Hakkaku or Ginta, couldn't he put one of them in charge?"

Maya shook her head, turning to show that she wasn't interested in discussing the matter any further. She started walking ahead of everyone else, picking up on a strange and disgusting scent. Her eyes widened as she recognized the smell. "Inuyasha, do you smell that?" she asked, glancing back at him with terrified eyes; he nodded, looking tense. She looked up to the horizon, seeing the orange glow over the trees. She took off toward the glow, hearing the others fall into step behind her and Kirara flying above. There was blood on the air, and the putrid scent of burning flesh.

The screams around Maya were confusing her; she wanted to help the people, but there were so many, and so many of them were already on the brink of death anyway. She spotted a young child running towards her. "Help me! Help me, please!" the child screamed, "Mommy! Daddy!" Maya saw what the child was running from, and felt a sick sense of familiarity as she growled: it was a weasel demon, and his head was engorged with the blood he had stolen from the innocent. She roared and lept at it, bringing her claws deep down into his skull, and grabbing hold of its throat with her teeth. She pulled the head from its body with little ease; and she glared at the dissolving remains and looked for the child. It was staring up at her with glazed eyes, and trembling in frozen fear. "I'm not going to hurt you." Maya whispered, reaching out to grab the child as she collapsed backwards in a limp pile. Behind her was a smaller demon, who was taking savage bites out of her back. Maya dove at it, and cut clean through it with her claws just as it tried to fly away.

"This is bad." She said to Sango as she came to stand by her. They stared in horror at the havoc around them: burning buildings becoming black with ash, the helpless screams of unknown women and children, and the hovering black mist above the village. Maya couldn't bring her eyes away from it. It was as if the demons were pouring out of the black hole in the sky incessantly. The taste of death was almost tangible on the air now. "How are we going to kill them all?" Maya asked as she turned to face the solemn faced Inuyasha. Something dark had come over his face, like all of his despair and anger had woven into a veil that now hung with a spectral misanthropy. He looked up at her, and scowled. "We're going to have to use our best and most effective attacks." Miroku said, understanding the half-demon's silence, "I'll use my wind tunnel, Inuyasha can use his wind scar, and Maya…you'll have to release it." All eyes fell on her as she sighed, nodding. "Remember to knock me out as soon as these pests are gone." She muttered as she pulled her hair up into a pony tail.

Everything seemed to go quiet, even the wind stopped as she walked ahead of them. "Soul collection: Release!" she spoke sadly, thrusting her arms up just as a red glow began to radiated from her skin. Her tail began to bristle up and it split into two separate appendages, swiftly dancing around in the air as the rest of her body began to transform; her hair turned into a pale shade of red and her eyes began to glow with an intense blue. Her claws extended painfully from her hands, dripping with venom, and her fangs protruded over her lips. Black markings appeared over her cheeks, like scars from a war fought before her time, and she roared in pain. It was at that moment that she charged into the village, attacking every demon she found with animal like ferocity.

Miroku warned everyone to keep their distance from her whilst she was in this state, and they divided, assisting the rampaging demon-ness. Miroku ran to the center of the village, just beneath the dreaded black hole, and he opened up his wind tunnel, capturing the demons that came from the black abyss. Inuyasha and Sango fought back to back, killing the demon's that Kagome couldn't disintegrate with her arrows. They felt cold as they defended the remaining villagers, whom were cowering behind Kagome as she boldly shot arrows at approaching demons. There was a heavy evil lingering over the village, and a dangerous demon set on the loose to defend them.

Inuyasha watched with a heavy pit in his stomach as Maya attacked: she had become an animal dependent on nothing more than her instinct and blood lust. _'Remember to knock me out as soon as these pests are gone…'_ Her words echoed through his mind incessantly, loitering like a phantom of impending doom. She wasn't in control of this form; it was another part of her, one that did not have the benevolence or humanity she did. This form of her was dangerous, misanthropic and merciless. There was palpable revulsion in her every movement, as if this form despised all life. Inuyasha understood why she was so careful: she was a vessel to this menace and the only one capable of keeping it sealed away.

Maya was crouching above them all, staring with inexorable loathing at the black pit over the village. A ferocious scowl marred the blithe beauty of her face, making her appear sinister and spectral: she was the ghost of every man's nightmare. A large, snake like demon began to crawl out of the pit now, scuttling like a bug over the black fog. A low growl sounded from Maya's lips as she spotted the beast, and she launched herself at it, grabbing hold of it by digging her claws into the soft flesh of its belly. She swung herself back and flipped herself onto its back, shoving her claws into the hard shell of its armor and ripping the beast's insides out in bloody avarice. She held onto the broken shell as the dying creature descended toward the blazing ground, and then released her grip letting it fall from her and using the momentum to kick herself up again, landing faultlessly on the earth beside it. She didn't stir as it came crashing next to her, kicking up earth and the ashen bodies.

A thick, black fog began to materialize around the panting demon. She swiped at it aimlessly to no avail, and remained still and silent as it fully encased her in darkness. "So, the benevolent Mayumi Yuki has a dark side? How very interesting." An odious voice came from the black mist, and white creature came into her view. She lept at it viciously, and came tumbling onto the ground with bare claws. Confusion swept across her face as she turned back to the latent form, and she roared as she attacked again. She landed hard on the ground and slid around on her knees and hands, crouching like a lioness on the prowl. The white form became what appeared as a snow colored baboon, and reeked of decay. "I can see that you lack any true intelligence at the moment, being nothing more than a blood thirsty animal." The specter said; his voice was chilling and made her tail bristle defensively, "There's no need to see me as enemy, Azami."

Maya growled and sat back on her ankles, crossing her arms as she spoke, "Not many know of my true name, or the fact that I do have intelligence. I'm pleased meet you, Naraku." The baboon faded away, and the figure of a man with elegantly long, black hair appeared in its place. "So, you do know who I am." He chuckled, looking pleased.

"I am fairly educated in the names of my equals." She replied, smiling smugly, "Though, I was expecting someone more sinister looking."

"My appearance deceives you then, as it should."

"On the contrary, I can sense your demonic energy, and I know of your strength, Naraku; it does not strike fear in me as you would normally wish."

"So, do you know of what I wish?"

"You wish for me to become your ally."

"I'm impressed, Azami-dono."

"I decline, as I do not require the assistance of an inferior coward who would not show his face."

The smile faded from his face at her words, making her smile with menacing pleasure. "I am also aware of your puppetry skills, and I'm quite disgusted by your cowardice." She told him, keeping her voice level as she gave him a superior look, "And I'm unenthusiastic about your choice of host either; human hosts never last long enough, and they reek of decay which can give the puppeteer away." Naraku stared at her with a defiant look on his face, and he smirked. "It isn't wise to insult your betters." He retorted. Azami stood, dissolving in the air and reappearing just in front of his face, and gave him a blank, unanimated look as she spoke, "Wisdom is a skill that takes years to master, Naraku-bozu." Her voice sounded cruel and aged, "I have lived for many centuries, in many different forms. I know who my betters are, and they have long been deceased." She lept back just as a swarm of insects burst from the puppet, and she swiped a single hand through the air: a red light came from her claws, and sliced through all of the buzzing creatures. She grinned as she watched the dissolving pieces float to the ground. "Coward." She whispered, turning and leaping upwards; she came out of the cage of black smoke with ease, and landed on the physical ground of the burning village.

Her other half's companions were standing around her, and she growled. Miroku stepped forward, holding a sutra in his hand. "It's time to sleep, Azami." He said solemnly, flinging the paper at her. She flinched as the parchment touched her skin, and began to glow, burning her skin. She roared in pain, and collapsed, face down, suddenly. Slowly, her body began to adjust back into Maya. Kagome and Sango rushed to her side, removing the sutra and turning onto her back. "Will her baby be okay?" Kagome asked, turning frantically to look at Miroku. He nodded and leaned over them, slowly slipping his arms under Maya and hoisting her up.

Maya groaned in pain as she sat up, holding her head as the world around her spun with sickening speed. "D-did anyone get h-hurt?" she asked, not bothering to look at the people surrounding her; she knew that her friends were with her. She swallowed hard, trying to dislodge the anxious lump from her throat. Her uniformed credulity had given her nightmarish thoughts the moment she came into consciousness. "No." a comforting voice spoke to her, "Nobody was even touched by Azami's rampage." She smiled and sighed, closing her eyes and craning her neck upwards. Relief flushed through her exhausted body, and she hugged her swollen stomach. She opened her eyes as she turned to look at her companions; they were all covered in ash and blood. Kagome's eyes were ruddy and puffy looking, as if she'd been crying; she was sitting in the protective fortress of Inuyasha's arms as they sat with the others, surrounding her. "I've made you all worry." Maya affirmed, looking ashamed, "I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault." Inuyasha replied, shocking everyone. Maya snapped her head up and gazed at him in admiration. He was looking at her with serious veneration, and he nodded at her. "You and Miroku need to explain this Azami character now, though." He said as all of the respect disappeared from his face, "And why you reek like Naraku." All color faded from their faces as he said this, and they turned to look at Maya. Her jaw had fallen from its hold, and was hanging loosely in disbelief. "I don't know why I smell like him; I can't remember anything from being in Azami's form, because I technically disappear from existence when I release her." She explained; her face got darker as she bowed her head to stare at the fire next to them, "Azami is, in a way, my other side, however, she has a separate soul from mine."

Her gaze seemed to fall inward as she spoke, and, suddenly, it was if she wasn't even with them anymore. "Azami is an evil spirit that takes her form by sharing bodies with other souls. Usually, she had complete control of her hosts, but, in my case, there are a select few who can keep her sealed away." She continued, thrumming her fingers on the earthen ground, "I was about thirteen years of age when she started to 'break out' of me, but the monk's were able to teach me how to channel our energies separately, so she wouldn't be able to take control."

"But you let her out. Wouldn't that give her complete control?" Kagome interrupted, obviously interested in Maya's 'condition.'

"Yes, it would." Maya replied, and smiled, "But that's where Miroku comes in, with the sealing sutra, and when we're both unconscious I manage to regain control of my body."

Miroku nodded, and put his arm around her shoulders. "Maya's human-like compassion is more powerful than Azami's hatred of the living, so she overpowers the spirit." He added, smiling like a proud father. Maya shoved him away from her, rolling her eyes. "As I was saying," she said, casting an annoyed look at Miroku, "I have complete control over her, and she can't come out unless I release the sutra's effects." Inuyasha nodded, mentally scrutinizing the details in his mind. "That still doesn't explain why you're covered in Naraku's scent." He commented, sounding puzzled.

"I have a theory." Maya said, drawing undivided attention upon her, "But I would have to tell the Legend of the Thistle." They all gave her overdramatic looks of false awe, and Shippo tossed a marshmallow at her. She laughed for a moment and then became very serious. She reached into her kimono and pulled out a bag of powder, and flung it into the small fire: it erupted in a blast of colors and then began to glow an enigmatic blue. "Ayami means 'thistle flower', which is a suitable name for her, because she was beautiful like a flower, yet she was dangerous." Maya began, keeping her voice low and thoughtful as she stared deeply into the blue flames, "She was blessed with the brilliant mind of a scholar, and of a general. Her village's noble, Lord Hikaru, was a greedy and demanding man, and, when he saw her playing chess with her peers, he decided to harness that mind and create a weapon of mass proportions."

"He had her trained in the art of war, and made her his captain. As her first duty, she was to help her village's militia invade and capture the neighboring village. They ransacked the community, killing any who were unwise enough to try and defend themselves. The capture engorged Lord Hikaru's army, making it stronger and larger. This pleased him and fed into his arrogant ego, making him bolder. So, he had Azami lead them into the next village, and again they were successful. Azami had been trained to show no mercy against her enemies, and she soon saw her own Lord as an obstacle. He had transformed her into a tyrant. She convinced her men to revolt against the greedy lord, and they executed him in his very bed." A clash of lightning broke into the dreamy atmosphere, sending chills up and down her listener's spines. She grinned as the thunder echoed through the black night, and continued, "Azami was a ruthless leader, but her people worshipped her none the less. She developed a sick sense of justice in her later years, and began to see herself as a god, rather than a human."

"On one of their plunders, she came upon a demon named Hiroshi, and he told her of a jewel that could grant her the powers of a demon. She lavished the idea of such powers, and she asked him where she would find such a thing. He would not disclose the location to her, but instead offered a deal: that they would merge forces to find the jewel and share it. Azami readily agreed to this, finding his proposition amusing because he had no forces." Maya lowered her voice, and let her eyes droop from the fire, "What she had not known was that Hiroshi was a soul eater, and he swallowed her whole. He laughed as he watched her men run in fear, (seeing their beloved dictator being devoured had discouraged them) but his victory didn't last long: Azami's soul was so large and vile that it overpowered his own, ultimately destroying him and giving her his body. At first, she was disgusted with her body and she wreaked havoc on her village for their betrayal to her. She mourned the loss of her beautiful face and body. After a year of havoc reeking, she came to lust over her powers and decided that the new vessel would do."

"She had learned to take over bodies when she passed into the beyond, and so she never had to die; and each time se had another chance to rule over the realm." Maya finished, looking back up to them with glassy eyes, "At least, until she tried to take mine." Everyone sat in silence around her, and then Inuyasha scoffed, and gave her a dull look. "So, what does Naraku want with her, then?" he asked. Maya gave him aggravated look in return, and pushed herself up onto her feet just as the blue flames returned to their red glow. "He's after her ability. He wants to learn how she can steal bodies after death, instead of returning to the next life." she said gravely, "Something tells me he's on his death bed."


	9. Chapter 9: The Final Search Begins

Chapter Nine: The Final Search Begins

Chapter Nine: The Final Search Begins

Maya stared down the pathway, dreading the journey ahead. There was a black cloud hovering over the group, an ominous warning of the battle ahead. She raised her nose to the air and opened her mouth wide, inhaling. To her, the world became a canvas of individual strands of color: the scents of its inhabitants. The strong stench she was looking for had come to her as quickly as she let her senses work. She flinched in disgust and pulled herself from the dark world, and lurched back onto her bottom. "You find it?" Inuyasha asked, understanding the pained look in her face as she nodded, holding her burning nose with her hand. Tears poured helplessly from her eyes, and she pointed north. "The scent leads that way." She told him, smiling as Miroku helped her up onto her feet, "Are you sure that you're ready for this?" The half-demon nodded solemnly, and smirked arrogantly. "I've been waiting for this day for years."

The rain seemed to come down on them like icy needles as they followed Maya. She was fading in and out of the scent-world as she trailed the horrid smell of death. She had pulled her kimono over her head as she ran, and appeared like a white phantom to her followers as it fluttered in the passing wind of her running. The sky had turned a sickly green color as the storm raged on and it made them all nervous.

Shippo clung to Miroku's shoulders as he ran closest behind Maya. He was nervous at how edgy she had become in the last few hours: fear and anxiety was seeping off of her like a bad stink. He was also becoming more and more worried over what could happen if they did find Naraku; she was pregnant, and he worried what would happen if she got too close to him. His tiny fist tightened over Miroku's sleeve as he thought of the worst. The monk glanced at him, and understood his fear. He turned back to the leading woman, and he imagined her not as a demonic mistress, but as a young woman bearing a child and trapped between death and a hard place. He knew she would fight, no matter what he and the others said to her, or how hard they pleaded: she would fight with them, even if it meant her life and the child's. He shuddered at the thought of her death, and he tore his eyes from her, looking at Sango.

Sango was riding on Kirara's back, but they were flying close to the ground because of the storm. There was a solemn and frightened look on her face, and she was staring hard at Maya's back. He understood that she was thinking the same, and he whistled to her, giving her a reassuring smile when she glanced at him; she smiled in return, but the worry never faded from her ever paler face. He frowned indecisively, and then looked back over his shoulder at the sprinting form of Inuyasha, saddled by Kagome. Their faces were the same as the others', only Inuyasha had a small grin on his face: he was impatient for them to find their enemy, and to fight him at last. He knew that the Naraku they found would be the real one, because of Maya's highly developed senses. It was impossible for any foe to hide from them now. He was worried for Maya, but it was more of a worry of her becoming a nuisance under her condition: he was using her to get his much sought after revenge, and the last of the Shikon jewel shards.

Kagome nodded at Miroku, noticing that he was watching their expressions. She understood the danger of Maya fighting, and she understood that wouldn't be able to stop her either. They would be occupied keeping her safe, while Inuyasha would be concentrating on killing his enemy for good. They would all fight Naraku, but the portentous worry of Maya's welfare would keep them edgy. Such a distraction could be fatal if they weren't careful, and Kagome had been trying to come up with a plan to keep Maya out of it. Maya would be on the defensive for all of them, she would intrude into any fight that she thought could become deadly to them: she would sacrifice herself for them. Kagome knew that they would have to keep her safe, and their selves away form any immediate danger.

She squeezed Inuyasha's neck for a second, and then let her chin rest on his shoulder. His grip around her legs tightened in return to her gesture, and he sped up, moving so that he was running beside Maya. "We're getting closer." She said, not looking at them. There were worried tears staining her cheeks, and her eyes had begun to turn red as her demonic powers strengthened instinctively. "Are you sure you're well enough to fight, cat?" Inuyasha asked, trying to make his voice sound more concerned than excited. Maya nodded sharply, and opened her mouth again to find the scent.

"I'm well enough." She replied.

"I don't think you should fight, anyway."

She came to skidding halt, and glared at him as he slowed and turned to face her. "I'm fine!" she bellowed, giving him an enraged, defiant look, "I _will not_ be excluded from this fight because of your worry!" She turned sharply to glare at the others as well. "Just because I'm carrying a child, does not make me weak." She stated, growling as she pinched the bridge of her nose, hugging herself, "If anything, it makes me stronger. I have the power of two now, three if you count Koga's spirit." She looked up, giving them all pleading looks. "Don't make me watch you get hurt." She whispered weakly, "I'm not going to allow it."

She continued to run again, ignoring their complaints and endeavors. Soon, they gave up and fell into place behind her solemnly. They followed her in silence for what seemed like hours, and she stopped in a paddock just outside a stranger village. Confusion was written all over her face, and she winced. "It's all over here…but I can't sense a demonic aura." She muttered, glancing back at the others as they caught up to her. Inuyasha soon copied her confused look, and they exchanged glances. "There's something very wrong here…it's a warning." She told them.

She closed her eyes, entering the world of sent again. She looked around her invisible plane, searching for clues, reasons, anything that would explain her roadblock. She spotted a rogue scent: it was one that was aged with decay, but still string enough for her to pick up. It was a faded pink color, similar to Kagome's scent, but still different somehow. She focused her chakra towards the source of the scent, and came to her realization in horror. "Inuyasha, get out of the way!" she commanded, leaping at him blindly and shoving him to the ground just as an arrow pierced through the empty air where he had been standing.

A woman walked out of the trees, followed by a white figure dressed in the fur of a baboon. "Ky-kikyo?" Inuyasha stuttered, staring at the clay priestess in shocked horror. The woman smiled evilly, and laughed a frighteningly sinister laugh. "Dearest Inuyasha, did you honestly think I would miss your death?" she asked in an evil voice, and then she turned to glare at Maya, "Such a pity that this demon saved you from my arrow."

"Are you ready to die now, Inuyasha?" Naraku's velvety voice rang from the white figure, and it erupted into the massive form of a spider with a man's body for a head, "Let's not waste time with nonsense talking." The creature lurched at him, and green venom came shooting from its mouth. Maya dodged under its legs, and grabbed hold of its underbelly. Kikyo armed herself with her bow, and shot at her, missing as she lept away from the creature, snatching up Shippo as she ran past Miroku. Kagome charged at Kikyo, grabbing her bow and arming it. Her arrow flew past her, missing by just a few hairs.

Inuyasha freed Tetsuiga from its sheath, and he rammed it into one of the massive legs of the spider-creature. Naraku's chilling laugh rang into the air, and the acidic venom shot through the air again at him. Inuyasha lept to dodge it, and was thrown back by one of the legs as it rammed into his waist. Sango hurled her weapon at the demon, slicing through two sets of legs. It screeched in pain, and spat venom towards her; Maya grabbed hold of her waist just in time to pull her back, and snatched the boomerang as it returned.

Maya set them down, and charged toward the massive being. Her claws sprang from her fingertips, and she lept into the air, spinning, "Soul Collection: Winds of Death!" A red, flaming wind began to form around her and she flew into the side of the beast, reemerging from the other side in a bloody splash of guts and flesh. Naraku turned from Inuyasha, and spewed venom at her, she jumped back, avoiding the stream as his head followed her. She ran towards a thinner tree and jumped, landing against it and flinging her back at him, landing on the spider's back. She spied the disfigured, spider-shaped scar on the man-head's back, and she pulled out a needle, flinging at him swiftly as she lept off to avoid another stream of acid-venom. "Inuyasha! Aim your wind scar towards his back!" she screamed as she ran to Miroku's side, clawing through a small swarm of demonic bee-creatures.

Inuyasha nodded, and ran around him just as Sango flung her weapon at him again, and he lept onto the demon's back. "Wind scar!" He bellowed; swing Tetsuiga hard over his shoulder: the claw-mark lights exploded into the air, gliding over the hard shell of the spider-body. A loud screeching sounded as the light-blades pierced through the human half, and disintegrated into chunks of skin and flying sparks of crystal. The beast faded into nothing, and it was silent. They all paused and waited, watching in silent disbelief as the demon-bees flew away and the dust settled. An evil sounding laugh sounded in the air, and they all turned to see Kikyo armed with her arrow again, and Kagome knocked out beside her.

"One last demon to dispose of." She declared, smiling as she released the arrow with a loud _twang._ It was traveling at Inuyasha, whom was still frozen in his victory over Naraku. "Look out!" Maya shouted at him, leaping towards him. Time seemed to slow down at that moment, and all everyone could hear was their own heartbeats as Maya flew threw the air. (Dramatic effect!) She came to be in front of him just as the arrow reached him, and it pierced through her stomach. She staggered slightly as a pained look painted horror across her face. She grabbed hold of the arrow with both of her hands, staring down at it with a broken look. Blood was pouring incessantly from the wound, more than usual.

Sango and Miroku rushed over to her while Inuyasha stared in horror between her and the ominous Kikyo. She was laughing indignantly, and reaching for another bow. "Foolish demon." She commented cruelly, turning her glare onto the wide-eyes Inuyasha, "She should have just let you die, instead of her child." Inuyasha winced at the realization of her sacrifice, and he turned to look at her again: she was sobbing madly and holding herself as Miroku and Sango aimlessly tried to move her. He turned to look at the smug priestess; she was standing not but five feet away from him now, and armed again. He stared at her in awed horror. "It's time for you to join it." She said, smirking slightly as she cocked the arrow in its place, "Die, Inuyasha!"

He closed his eyes, awaiting the terrifying sound and release. He heard her release the arrow, and heard it strike, yet no pain came to him. He opened his eyes, seeing Kikyo on her knees and the arrow inches away from his arm. He saw Kagome standing in the background, still holding her bow up defensively. A garbled grunt sounded from Kikyo's throat as blood spewed from her mouth, splattering over the ground and Inuyasha's chest. He pushed himself up off of the ground and ran towards her, watching as she crumpled over into a pile of broken clay. Her eyes were wide with surprise and pain, and she glanced at him. "I'll see you in hell." She whispered. The pieces of clay crumbled, turning into dust and ashes. He watched her remains being scattered by the wind and he nodded.

He stepped over the shrinking pile of powder and ran to Kagome. She looked at him, exhausted and in pain. Blood was trickling from her brow and lip. "She's…dead right?" she asked. He nodded and she faltered forward and into his arms. "Good. That bitch needed to go." She muttered, smiling up at him, "Are you gonna be okay?" He nodded seriously, and pulled her lips up to his roughly. All of his previous worry hit him hard, and his emotions were quickly deteriorating under the pressure of everything: for the first time in 50 years, he was finally free of worry.

Kagome smiled at him, and let her eyes wander over to Maya: terror dulled her tired eyes and she whispered, "Maya!" Maya had reduced herself into a cradled mass of tears and shouting. She was wide-eyed still and didn't seem to be fully with them anymore. Miroku and Sango had managed to pull the arrow from her abdomen, and were now surrounding her with pained expressions of loss and worry written across their pale faces. There was blood everywhere.

"Aye, this be grave." Kaede murmured, sharing the group's look of remorse as she walked out of the hut and approached them, "She's sleeping now, but ye be wise to let her be. We don't want her to relapse into a fit and die of sorrow." She frowned and walked past the shadowy group of five. Miroku sighed heavily, and sat down on the ground, hiding his face in his hands; Sango sat beside him and put her arm around him. Inuyasha had been staring quietly into the flames beside Kaede's hut, and he sighed, sitting also. Only Kagome stood now, and she was cradling the worrisome Shippo in her weary arms. "How are we going to tell Koga?" Miroku asked finally; his voice was low and sad, "This would have been his first son, and Kaede said that she might not even be able to conceive again. What if he leaves her?" Warped feeling shot through the group, and they all shook their heads. "I'll kill him if he does." Inuyasha replied hazily, glancing over his shoulder and the dark hut.

"I doubt he would leave her for something like this." Sango added, trying to sound optimistic, "But, I don't know if she'll want to return to him after this…she might feel too ashamed." Miroku nodded in agreement, and put his arm around her waist, pulling her closer to his side. "She will." Shippo said firmly, clenching his hands into tiny fists, "She's the strongest demon on this planet, and the best person too. She wouldn't not see him." They all nodded and shrugged, not sure what to say after that.

Kagome sat Shippo down and turned to the hut. "What are you doing?" Inuyasha demanded quietly, "Kaede said to leave her alone!" Kagome nodded, and replied, "I'm going to see what I can do to help." She pushed the mat aside and found Maya sitting up, staring at the wall. "You're awake?" she asked, taking a seat beside the severely bandaged demon. "For now." She replied solemnly, not turning away from the wall, "I didn't want any visitors, I told Kaede this." Kagome lowered her head in understanding and shame.

"I want to try and help you." She told her.

"How?" There was no animation in her voice.

"I have abilities similar to yours."

She turned to look her in the eye. The darkness in her green orbs frightened Kagome, and she gasped quietly. "I don't think anything can bring my child back." Maya droned out, frowning as another tear traveled down her cheek. Kagome bit her lip and placed her hand on her shoulder. "No, I don't think I could bring your baby back to life, but I might be able to make it to where you could conceive another." She explained, placing her hands on Maya's belly. The demon blinked slowly, and turned away again as the low blue light began to shimmer around Kagome's hands. "What am I going to tell Koga?" she asked, sounding even sadder.

The blue light faded away, and Kagome sighed. "That your son died a warrior." She said, "And that your daughter will bear his soul as well." A smile appeared on her face. "You had twins…one of them is still alive." The hope returned to Maya's face half-way, and she touched her stomach lightly. "Twins…? Daughter?" she muttered, smiling as tears started to pour down her cheeks again, "I'm still pregnant?" Kagome nodded with a happy smile on her face. "But…what will happen to my son's body?" she asked, looking horrified for a moment. Kagome's lips flattened into a hard line, and she sighed, "He'll be reabsorbed into your body, I guess."

Maya nodded, letting her mind wrap around the idea as her mind began to mend itself back together. "So, he'll always be with me." She whispered with a smile, laying back and turning onto her side as she hugged her stomach, "I'm going to name her 'Megumi.'" Kagome smiled happily and stroked her hair gently. "She is a blessing." She agreed, "Want to tell the others?" Maya shook her head and smiled mischievously, "Let them worry." And laughed, calling out to them.

End of Chapter

Hi! It's me again! Sorry this chapter was so short, and that he fight scenes might have been a little bit underdone, but I suck at them. I hope you liked it so far, and there's one chapter left! I'm not sure what I'm going to do with it yet, but thanks for sticking with me this far! Rate, comment, and review!


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